Bad Blood
by Brijustme
Summary: Sesshomaru’s hurt, Rin’s at fault, and Jaken’s asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year old beauty, and a demon that’s finding her strangely attractive... ***SESSRIN***
1. Bad Blood

··8/11/07

**Disclaimer: **_Darn._ You've found me out. Well… at least put me in a cell with ice cream and a laptop. Don't forget the shovel! In other words… like… I don't own Inuyasha or Sesshomaru (and company, etc.). Dreams really don't come true in some situations. Enjoy!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Bad Blood_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

"Master Jaken, is here good?" Rin tiredly asked as she pointed through darkness. She had been on her feet for over four hours, trying to find a safe place to rest for the evening. Through the darkness, there was a small clearing that looked unoccupied, and even better, looked safe. After what she had just experienced, all she wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare.

Her chocolate eyes turned around, and they fixated on her unconscious demon lord laid on top of Ah-Un. Shaking her head when she got no reply, she tugged on Ah-Un's reins, carefully pulling the two headed demon through the trees, hoping that she hadn't stirred anything that might come after her.

When she felt a small feeling press into her back, she turned around to stare into Ah's eyes. The demon was telling her to lighten up for Sesshomaru, to be cheerful like she always was for Sesshomaru, but she was just too sad. She stopped and let out a depressed sigh. "Now's not the time," she said in a whisper as her sitter ran ahead of her to the clearing. She guessed that he approved of the spot. "Master-"

"Hush, Rin! Do you want to wake your lord?! He needs his rest, and not _your_ rambling!"

She gulped and nodded, realizing that the toad was right. Her grip on the leather reins tightened, and she sighed with relief when they were finally there. She let the smallest smile grace her face; she thanked the heavens. She was tired, hungry, and scared out of her mind. She had been told all her life that Sesshomaru would protect her. This was true as ever, but... she never knew that he would get hurt in the process.

Tears fell from her eyes; she looked down at her other lord. He was saying something to her, but she couldn't comprehend what was leaving his mouth.

"Foolish _woman_! Go and fetch some wood to make a fire! Our lord's going to die if we don't act fast!" Jaken yelled, trying to hide his own tears. If Sesshomaru were to die, he didn't know what he'd do. He would be left alone to take care of a twenty year-old woman and a useless demon with two heads. His lord was who he looked up to, and now looking at Rin, she was taller than he by a long shot. 'The wench will most certainly take control of us,' he thought as he gripped his staff. "Ah-Un, lay Lord Sesshomaru down by the tree." He pointed a clawed green finger towards a large oak tree, and glared at Rin. "Get going!"

Rin released Ah-Un's reins, and nodded.

"Yes," she said with little enthusiasm, and looked out into the darkness. It wasn't really dark, it was a few hours past sunset, and she was so used to Sesshomaru asking her where she was going the minute she even thought about leaving. She gathered her courage, and left her small family.

As she walked, she told herself over and over... that it was her fault. "It's true," she said as she bent down to pick up large pieces of wood. "If I hadn't had run away... If I hadn't-" She paused and dropped the wood she had gathered. She was on her knees with her head buried in her hands. Nothing compared to how she was feeling. "L-Lord Sesshomaru... I don't know what I'll do without you." The wind caused her to lift her head, and she remembered Jaken's words; she had to hurry.

She quickly gathered the wood she had dropped, and scurried to find more. "Lord Sesshomaru... you can't leave me." Looking up through the tree leaves, she watched as the sky quickly turned dark blue. She gasped and hurried back to the campsite, hoping that she wouldn't get lost again.

When she got there, she was happy to see that there were no intruders, just Jaken, Ah-Un, and a still unconscious Sesshomaru. She sighed, remembering that he wasn't like this all those years ago. The first time she had met him, he had only been down for a day. 'But back then he didn't look as bad as he did now.' She came back to reality when Jaken snapped his fingers in impatience, and she walked to the middle of the clearing. She set the wood down, and grabbed two sticks. She had a fire going in no time, and ignored the blisters on her fingers from twisting the sticks extra fast. "Hungry, Master Jaken?" she asked, as she blew into the fire, watching as the orange heat grew bigger by the second. Drama or not, she still had to take care of her duties; she had given herself the responsibility of Ah-Un and Jaken.

She got no answer, and looked ahead of her. Her small master was sitting beside Sesshomaru with a glare on his face. She sprung to her feet, and walked to Ah-Un that wasn't too far away eating grass. She grabbed a brown sack from his side that was clung to him, and returned to the fire. She pulled out a fish, and attached it to a stick. She held it over the fire, _praying_ with all her might that it would hurry and cook.

Night was coming fast, and she couldn't pick out the moon from anywhere. Sighing, she noted that the fish's eyes were white, and pulled it away from the flames. She blew on it, and didn't have to think twice when it was yanked out of her hands by the toad. He was ignoring her, in fact, she was sure that Ah-Un was as well. There was plenty of grass where they were, but the demon chose to eat elsewhere. She brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Master Jaken... I'm so sorry," she spoke quietly.

The toad demon looked up from his steaming fish. He raised an eyebrow at the woman, and sighed. "I know, Rin. All we can do is hope that Lord Sesshomaru heals quickly," he said with no hope at all in his tone, as he turned around. There, leaning against the tree trunk, was his lord. 'Lord Sesshomaru, please wake up. I've never seen you in such bad shape.' Giving his attention to Rin across from him, he sighed again. "Even if this is _your_ entire fault, why not go to sleep?"

"No!" Rin instantly replied, and noticed that her voice was rather hoarse. She nodded when Jaken motioned for her to lower her tone. "If he wakes up during the night, you won't be able to treat him. I might as well." Looking down, she stared at her feet. She was sore all over, and was actually considering taking the toad's offer. 'I won't,' she said to herself with little pride. 'Lord Sesshomaru's my top priority.' She lifted her head and looked past her master. 'He looks terrible,' she thought as she felt the first tear fall.

It was all her fault. She was the one that had put her lord through what was perhaps the worst experience of his life. She knew he was older than her in dog years by a good one hundred years, so he had time to get himself into other situations that didn't involve her. She was simply picking flowers when she saw light blue ones at the end of the bank. Without thinking, she soon found herself picking them, and right behind them was an enormous snake demon. The snake demon… that would take her love's life.

Her eyes softened, and she choked on her saliva. She didn't flinch when she felt Ah-Un's footsteps coming towards her, and she smiled when they both licked her cheeks. The demon curled up around Jaken and went to sleep. She was the only one awake now, and it was late. Normally she fell asleep to her lord's beautiful eyes watching over her, but now she was doing his job. It was the least she could do, since if he were to die, it would be all her fault.

She stayed awake, doing nothing but staring at Sesshomaru, hoping that he would open his eyes sometime soon. The only time she left camp was to fetch wood to feed to the fire, and right after that, she would return her eyes to Sesshomaru. His kimono was slowly turning red from his blood, and she couldn't stand it. Every second his body would look paler, _weaker_.

When she couldn't stand it any longer, she made her way to her feet and walked towards her lord. He didn't move at all, except for his chest raising and lowering ever so slightly to match his breathing. She was reliving the first time she met him, except for the fact that he didn't shoot up and growl at her, his way of telling her to go away. The demon, the man who had raised her, was in pain, she realized. Squatting to his right, she set her hand on his shoulder, and gently shook him.

He didn't move, nor stir.

She gasped and wiped her fresh tears that had fallen. "Lord Sesshomaru, I'm so sorry that I made you come rescue me." She was talking very downside, and had been told by her lord to not talk that way. She was told by him that she was a cheerful girl, and she shouldn't fool others. She looked at him, and when he was starting to slouch, she gently lifted him up, and wiped her hands on her kimono when they were covered with blood.

"I'd rather be in your position," she admitted as she put her hands on his shoulders. In a few swift moments, she had his armor off, and was staring at his slowly crumbling body. She bit her bottom lip, and untied his kimono. She was greeted with his glowing chest, and blushed. She shook her head, while telling herself that she was only looking at him so she could wipe his wounds clean. He had gotten bitten in the stomach twice and in his right arm once. She could see the huge fang marks... they were outlined with green. "I'm sorry, my lord."

She left, and returned seconds later with a piece of her kimono that had been dipped in the stream not too far away. Once again, she was seated to his right, and she looked him strait in the face. His head was bobbled to the side, but all in all, still looked handsome. She leaned over him, and wiped the piece of cloth against his forehead. Not knowing, nor caring what she was doing, she gently placed her lips on his cold cheek, hoping he knew that she was terribly sorry. 'He's losing too much blood if his body is cold…'

She soon found herself wiping the huge wounds clean, and took the rest of her time to stare at him in all his glory. He was cute, charming when he felt like it, and a dog. She had never seen him 'transform' before, but had been told by Jaken that he wasn't the demon to mess with when he was angry. She understood perfectly, and this was why she always smiled at him, whether she herself was happy or sad.

She gasped when she heard a faint sound. She didn't know what it was, but soon came to find that it was someone calling her name. The tears came like running water, and she grabbed his hand. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She tried to sound happy, but failed miserably. She knew that her babbling wouldn't help the situation, but her mouth was running a mile, causing her to grasp the three fingers she could hold tighter. "I'm so sorry! …It's all my fault. I shouldn't have wandered so far. I never meant for you to get-"

"You're not hurt, are you?" came a voice that was almost whispered.

Her eyes widened, and she held onto him harder, begging for him to come through. She shook her head and stared into his eyes. What was the matter with him? Was he delusional? Couldn't he see that he was so close to dying? "H-how can you be so uncaring?" she asked as she felt his hand grip hers.

She looked at him, and gasped. He was trying to sit up. Shaking her head, she helped him so he was leaning against the tree trunk, while trying not to let him notice that his kimono had fallen to his hips, letting his chest be in full view for her. Never had she seen him so down, so weak, in her entire life. "Lord Sesshomaru… I'm-"

The dog youkai stared down at her, and she instantly became quiet. He was going to be fine in a matter of days, hours if he got enough rest, and she was taking his injuries rather harshly. Letting out a sigh, he lifted her in the air by the wrist, and sat her next to him, while ignoring the throbbing pain from what he had just done. He felt his body heat rise when she giggled, much like she had when she was but a mere child. He used this method when he wanted her to rest. It always worked, and she left him alone in the process. "Now go to sleep."

"Not until you do, my lord."

Did she just _refuse_ him? He looked down at her, and was taken aback when two big eyes were staring at him. He felt nauseous, and a bit timid. He didn't understand what the big deal was. All he remembered was going to save her the minute she screamed his name, just like always. Now she was holding onto him like he was her lifeline. He searched for the right words, but instead noticed that her hands felt rough on his own. He raised an eyebrow, and took a good look at her. She looked horrible. "What happened to you?" he asked in his usual tone. "I thought you said you weren't hurt?"

Rin looked up at him. He was always so worried about her… always. She wished he wasn't. "Lord Sesshomaru, I'm old enough to take care of myself. Not old enough to watch myself, but to take care of," she said while still looking at him. "You should worry more about yourself sometimes." She motioned to where his left arm used to be. "You didn't worry about yourself back then, and look what happened."

Once again, Sesshomaru was taken aback. She was right. He had been so confident that he would kill his younger brother, to see Inuyasha quiver in fear, that he didn't take the time to notice that the hanyou had a sword that could kill over a hundred demons with one swing. He was lucky to get away with only his arm missing. He said nothing, for he couldn't think of anything to say. Did his lack of a left arm affect her? She never seemed to care before! He soon found her staring awkward, and he tried looking away, but couldn't for some reason. "Go to sleep, Rin."

"Not until _you do_, my lord."

Damn her. She was testing his patients, but deep down he didn't mind much. Child or adult, she was still the Rin he knew more than anyone. He had first taken her in without a care in the world, and now, he couldn't imagine his life without her. She was always smiling, even when she would witness him kill something, which he knew she hated. She always came around to forgiving him, and he was glad at this. Though he would never admit this, but the woman sitting next to him brought him peace. "Rin, are you withstanding me?" he asked with a small smile that was extremely rare.

"Of course not, my lord," Rin replied with a small smile of her own. She still wasn't sure if it was alright to give him a full one. "I've come a long way with you, and I know better than that." Looking at his arm and chest, she shook her head at him. "Try and fight me all you want, but I'm not going to bed until you do," she said with absolute confidence. He was sliding occasionally, and she knew that he wasn't a bit healthy to even travel. She was going to make him wait a good three days before even thinking about starting their journey again. "My lord, don't take this offensively, but... I just... care."

It was obvious to all that she had feelings for her master, but knew that he would only reject her in the end. First, there the age barrier; she never had it in her to ask him how old he really was. Second, which she didn't care about, was that he was a demon, a powerful one at that. Passing random villages, she always heard the villagers screaming for her to run away, for her to come with them, and that she was better than Sesshomaru, Jaken and Ah-Un; she never cared. They were her family, and she loved all of them. Third… she was jealous. There was Kagura, the wind sorceress that seemed to have feelings for Sesshomaru as well. She hadn't seen her in the longest time…

Yet again, Sesshomaru was taken aback by Rin's words. She always talked a little too much as a child, mostly about flowers and if she would ever get the chance to touch Inuyasha's ears. But this, this was entirely different, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd even had an intelligent conversation with her. She was by far a woman now, and he was starting to consider letting her go. She was too caught up in the demon world, and not caught up in her personal life. Questions were bubbling inside him that he was meaning to ask her. Did she want to settle down? Did she want to marry a man already? His face nearly turned white at the thought that she was ready to be a mother. "Rin, you know very well that I'm not going to bed until I know that you're asleep."

"Why, Lord Sesshomaru?"

The youkai didn't seem to care that she was nagging him, and let a smile grace his face again, which was a miracle that Rin was seeing it for the second time in a row. He didn't know how, but he got the woman into his lap, and used his extremely tired arm to rock her gently. This may have worked when she was a child, but now, even with it working, she was indeed heavier. If he had his strength this wouldn't matter, but he was on the verge of breaking down. "Because… I care," he honestly said, still keeping the smile on his face.

Rin's face immediately turned red, and she buried her head into his chest unknowingly. Hiding her blush didn't do much, since the demon was already chuckling. Her hands gripped his broad shoulders, and she mumbled what a tricky demon he was. "Good. Because this Rin plans on staying with Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken, and Ah-Un for a long time."

With the smile still on his face, his eyes widened when she felt her breath hit his chest, and he looked down. A light blush crossed him, and he looked at Jaken and Ah-Un that were sleeping. Sighing at what he had gotten himself into, he brought her closer and looked down when she gripped his hair. He soon found himself craving for her body warmth, and he snuggled against her.

"Glad to hear it."

He kept a sharp eye on her all night. It took her a good half hour to fall asleep, and he was sad at this. He enjoyed her company greatly, and didn't know why. He knew that part of it was because she had the nerve to talk back to him, and he found her challenging. His inner demon would try talking to him ever so often, and he was starting to get pissed off. Rin was nothing more than a follower. But as he came to pull her closer, her face reflected on the fire, which made her look stunning, even if she was filthy and needed a bath.

He was sure that he was nothing more than a father figure in her eyes, and this also made him sad. Rin was a woman now, no longer the girl that had nothing, but an adult that had everything. She had him, Jaken and Ah-Un, and she always would. But, something inside him was telling him to make a move. She was by far old enough, since Inuyasha had managed to get Kagome pregnant at eighteen, and was now a father of three.

Something else told him… that she was only a human. What had caused his father and Inuyasha to choose human women to spend their lives with?

"Lord Sesshomaru… I love you."

His face turned cherry red. He was shaking. Not from the cold, but from excitement. Rin, the girl he raised from age eight, was in love with him. At first he thought it was nothing more than teenage hormones when she would get nervous around him, but it was… love? He was strangely confused. She didn't care that he was a demon?

His amber eyes scanned her body that was clung to his own, and he laid his chin on her head before finally closing his eyes. But it didn't look like Rin's babbling was going to cease. So he stayed awake, listening closely to what she was saying.

"Screw pride."

&&&&&

"Fool!" Jaken yelled, as he swung his fish on a stick in front of Rin. "You should know better than bothering Lord Sesshomaru when he's sleeping! He hardly even _naps_ unless he's mediating, and he needs to conserve energy from the snake's poison!" Humans were so foolish. His lord needed about two full days of rest before even considering picking up a sword, which meant that he had to be on his toes. If he lost Rin, or even let a strand of hair fall from her head, he'd be sliced to shreds. His master had been overprotective of Rin when she started to hit puberty, and he was guessing that it was her blood from her bleeding time that attracted demons.

Rin found it in herself to nod, and glanced at her lord that was leaned against the tree, right where he had been throughout the night. His strange but comforting antics had gotten her to go to sleep, much against her dismay. She awoke early that morning to have Jaken's face barely an inch away from her own, and he's been shouting ever since. "Master Jaken, you're going to wake Lord Sesshomaru with all that screaming," she reminded him. "Like you said, he needs to conserve his energy."

"Exactly!" Jaken said with a grin. "It's nice to know that you listen to me every once in a blue moon," he spoke like a schoolteacher. "Anywho, how did you sleep last night?" he asked as he motioned to her bloody kimono. His lord's scent was all over her, and he knew that he had let Rin, the _human_, sleep with him. 'He must have been losing too much blood. That's right, he was delusional last night! No way would Lord Sesshomaru let that ningen sleep near him.'

He smiled when a heartbeat began beating faster that he had been keeping an eye on. He turned around, and met two amber eyes. "My lord!" he yelled as he ran towards the now awake Sesshomaru. "Thank goodness that you're alright! When do we continue our journey?" he asked, ready to get Ah-Un and pack camp when his lord would say the word.

Sesshomaru's eyes scanned Rin like a lost puppy. He was freezing, and was pretty sure that the hair on his arm was standing. He didn't notice her get off of him, but he did notice her sweet voice come to his ears, which had originally woken him. He had the nerve to whack Jaken upside the head. Rin had the privilege to bother him whenever she wanted, for she was very comforting. Their chat was still fresh in his memory, and it finally occurred to him that the toad demon was waiting for an answer, and as well, that Rin was staring at him from her perch near the fire.

Sticking his nose in the air, he inhaled for the scent of humans, and when he got a lock on some, he eyed the toad. "Take Rin to the village not too far from here. She needs a new kimono."

Jaken's first response would be to say "What in the bloody hell's gotten into you?!", but kept his mouth shut. Though his master's commands did deserve a raised eyebrow. "Um, yes my lord! Rin, let's go!" He turned towards her frozen position, and sighed. 'She's always been an odd one…'

Rin looked at Sesshomaru from her spot near the fire, and tried to read his mind. She looked down at herself, and instantly knew what he was talking about. Her yellow kimono had his blood all over it. But what if this was another one of his tricks? Glaring at him, she made her way to her feet. No way was she leaving him alone when there were demons everywhere. It was all too scary, and also, she liked fighting with him. It was rather entertaining, but she had to remember to argue with him later, because right now, she wasn't going to leave him. "But Lord-"

"Go, Rin. I'll be fine," he assured her, and when Jaken turned to pet Ah-Un goodbye, he smiled at her, letting her know very well that he knew what exactly had happened that night, and that he was sorry.

The woman nodded, understanding him completely, and gave into his request. She felt embarrassed for not realizing that he was close to dying last night, and she had slept on him. 'I'm impressed that he even remembers us together last night with all the blood he's lost.' She had slowed his healing process a great deal, but looking at him now, he didn't look like he cared. She was still paranoid about leaving her lord, but felt better when Ah-Un was staying with him. She gave him a last look, quietly pleading if he was sure. She sighed when he nodded at her, and let Jaken lead the way.

"And Rin?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"...Pick a nice one."

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** This is just something that I wrote after I watched the episode of Inuyasha when Rin gets kidnapped by a priest man, and Sesshomaru goes to save her! I thought it was cute, and a nice oneshot! Should I continue?

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	2. Let’s Watch the Clouds

··8/13/07

**Disclaimer:** I think you're mistaken. If _I_ were to own Inuyasha, I would have gotten the "Ask A Ninja" guy his own television show instead of watching his videos on a website… as well as getting around to buying myself a house with a big pool, equipped with a servant named Jackie Chan who's got kick butt kung-fu skills!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Let's Watch__ the Clouds_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

"Master Jaken!" Rin called as she trotted after her master who was four feet ahead. She knew to not bother him, for he was keeping a lookout for demons. Still, she needed his company, for they were about half an hour away from returning to her lord. "Do you think that we could stop at the stream when we get back?" she asked as she pointed to the red kimono with flower designs in her hand. This one was different from most. Instead of having a brace to wrap around her waist, it had a silk white string, which made it easier to breathe in while walking for such long periods of time. "I want to wash off Lord Sesshomaru's blood before I get dressed."

"Is this why you refused to put the thing on?" the toad bickered. Inhaling her scent, he _did_ detect the smell of blood. "Well," he put a clawed finger on his chin. If Rin had blood on her, especially Sesshomaru's blood, the demons would come running, hoping to kill the dog youkai, and instead getting a bite of a woman. "I suppose it'd be alright. Hurry though, for we have to await our lord's orders." He winced when the woman walked in front of him. "W-wait!" he called, as he ran after her. "Don't you even consider falling! I'll get slain if anything were to happen to you!"

As those thoughtful words left the demon's mouth, Rin stopped mid-step. 'He's right,' she said to herself as she waited for her master to catch up to her. 'If anything were to happen to me, Lord Sesshomaru's healing process will delay even more, and he can't have that,' she thought as she said, "Why is that?"

Jaken raised an invisible eyebrow. "Why is _what_?" he asked as they came to a clearing filled with flowers. He expected Rin to run off and play with herself, and when she didn't, he sighed.

"Why does Lord Sesshomaru entrust you with my life so much?" Rin got around to asking. "Does he not want anything to happen to me? This has been going on a lot since he took me in. He's not close to my family, nor is he my fath-"

"Of course!" Jaken spat out, ignoring that Rin was about to call his lord her father. "Because of _you_, his whole life has been put on hold! We're a good seventy years behind in our quest! It's your entire fault! Your "human" needs—sorry to say it—but are _unattainable_!" he said with a huff. "When you bleed, we stop. When you get sick, we stop. Whenever you get hurt or run away, we _stop_!" he said rather offensively. "And guess what he said to me one morning when I asked him if I could look over the area we were staying at?!" He glared at her. "Guess?!"

"Don't get kill-"

"No!" Jaken interrupted. "His exact words were, 'If anything happens to Rin, I'll kill you.' He has to take care of you because you can't fend for yourself! You'd be dead if it weren't for him—in fact—you'd _still_ be dead, because he wouldn't have revived you with his sword if he wasn't so curious about it!" he panted out, not aware of the things that were going through the young woman's mind.

Rin gasped. Her eyes narrowed, but she found it in her to not say anything to him. 'Master Jaken's right,' she thought as she clutched her kimono. Little did anyone know, but she had another in her hands as well. She shook his words off, and chose to walk behind, still silent. "Master Jaken, if it's alright with you, I think I'll be quiet now."

"You being quiet is the best thing to ever happen!" Jaken said with glee as he skipped the rest of the way to camp.

&&&&&

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

Rin watched in utter horror as her master ran around the campsite. Near the tree was a restless Ah-Un eating grass… but where was her lord? She had only been gone for about two hours. 'He couldn't have gotten far in his condition,' she said to herself, hoping to calm her heart down. It was beating extremely fast. 'He left his swords.' In Sesshomaru's place under the tree were two sheaths, with two swords inside. 'He _never_ takes off the one from his father. What's gotten into him?'

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken called, tears welding in his eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru!" He looked over at the resting Ah-Un. "Stupid animals! You were supposed to look after him with your lives! Instead you sleep!"

Her eyes started to sting, and she wiped under her left one with her finger, feeling water. 'Lord Sesshomaru—come back,' she said to herself with full hope. Sesshomaru went places all the time, but the only thing that worried her… was that he didn't say _where, _even if his answer was always silence of some sort. Lifting her head from her gaze at her feet, she held onto the kimono in her hand, trying to calm her nerves. "L-Lord Sesshomaru?" she choked out, while managing to get a glimpse of confusion from Jaken. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"If he doesn't answer to _my_ call, what makes you think that he'll answer to you?!" Jaken shouted offensively a second time. "We have to find him! He's in no state to walk around alone! He left his swords here, as well as Ah-Un, so that means he's completely defenseless!" The toad tried reaching for the blades, but was rejected and flung away, landing on the ground with a crashing sound. 'That's right…' he thought as he rubbed the back of his sore head. 'He's the only one that can wield them.'

Rin shook her head. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she called louder, and still got nothing. She continued calling out his name, and when she still got no answer, she sighed in agony.

'He will be alright,' she cooed to herself as she picked up both of her lord's swords without realization, or as well as noticing a gapping Jaken. "You search that way," she said while pointing in a random direction, "and I'll search the other way. Come back at sunset."

"Y-yes!" Jaken stated while smacking himself in the head. 'She's right! Why didn't I think of that sooner?!' Nodding, he pointed to Sesshomaru's swords. "Guard those with your life. If a demon wants them, sacrifice yourself," he said with absolute power. 'Because if you don't, _I'll_ be sacrificed to a pool of Naraku's miasma for losing them…'

And he left.

Rin waited until the toad was nowhere to be seen before letting the first teardrop fall. She hated crying in front of men, let alone Jaken. He always had something to say about her showing human emotions. She found it odd. What kind of emotions was she supposed to show? Did he not know that she wasn't like him? "It's been a fairly long time, of course he knows."

Smiling, she walked over to Ah-Un. She made sure the demon had no injuries, and she liked this. "That means that Lord Sesshomaru wasn't ambushed," she said with a sigh. Kneeling down, she patted Un's head, while trying to think of a plan. Where was he? Which direction was he heading to? Should she follow him? What if he just wanted to _relax_?

"I could always cut myself," she concluded. She knew she wasn't fooling anyone; her face was as white as snow at the idea, and she rolled her eyes at Ah-Un's demonic snickering. "He'd smell the blood and come running back… I hope." Kissing the two headed demon, she made her way to her feet and grabbed the nearest sharp rock. She held it in her hands and shook her head. "If I don't find him by sunset, I'll consider it," she spoke into the day, as she clutched it. "Ah-Un, don't wander too far. I don't want to disappoint Jaken by telling him that I didn't bother to look for Lord Sesshomaru."

The demon looked up from its perch. Nodding, the youkai returned to eating grass. Little did Jaken and Rin know, but he knew _exactly_ where Sesshomaru was…

Who said that animals were stupid?

&&&&&

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called once more, about to give up on her search. Nothing had bothered to attack, kidnap, molest or harm her, and she was proud to know that females were gaining some respect. Her eyes scanned the sky, and she sighed. It had an orange tint to it; sunset was coming, and Sesshomaru had yet to return to camp.

Her hand was still clutching the rock, and she looked down at it. It was old, sharp and useful to her. She needed Sesshomaru near her, for he was in no condition to go anywhere alone. She thought.

"If I were a tall, handsome, scary man, where would I go?" she said in confusion, as she blushed. "Sorry about the scary part…" As she said this, the sword that could heal started to shake on her hip. Gasping, she walked the opposite direction, and it stopped. She narrowed her eyes, and stared ahead.

Her big brown eyes looked through the trees. There was one place she hadn't checked yet, and she was afraid to get near it. It was a clearing of nothing but green grass, and it continued for as long as her eyes could see. It was easy for something to kill her. If a poor animal were to come out of the trees, it wouldn't stand a chance.

Now that she got a good look at it, the area was completely isolated. She smiled. "Lord Sesshomaru likes to be alone sometimes…" She peeked through and checked to make sure nothing would kill her, before slipping her leg out. She winced when she felt something warm touch her, and she tightened her grip on the rock, ready to pierce it into the attacker's forehead, but came to find that it was only the sunlight. The feeling made her feel nice, and she came out fully.

Looking at the area again, she came to find that it looked man maid. It was a complete square, a huge one at that. She looked around, and gasped when she found a man leaning against a tree, his hair falling gracefully over his shoulders, a restless look on his face.

Rin gapped at what she was seeing and quickly turned around. Her face was as red as an apple; she breathed in and out slowly. "Beautiful," she said in a whisper as she looked over her shoulder. He was still in his same position, and she once again noticed that he was slouching. Sighing, she looked at his wounds. They were getting better, but his lack of rest had pushed his healing process further back.

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru," she said with a shy smile. "You're always over exerting yourself." She was speaking the truth, for the demon hardly ever slept. He would always stay awake, either thinking or gathering his thoughts together to make a conclusion about something.

He wasn't odd—but weird.

She soon found herself squatting down next to him like she had that night, and caressed his cheek. It was still cold, but slightly warm. 'I guess getting sleep helps in this case,' she said to herself as she released the rock. She had put on the haori she had gotten him to make sure she wouldn't lose it, and slid out of it, letting her red one come to sight.

"This may hurt," she warned as she pushed his sleeping body forward and caught him, "but I have to put it on you."

After dropping him twice, falling under him from his weight, pinching him to get him to wake up so he could put it on himself, and declaring that he was a deep sleeper, she had him clothed. She didn't know where his bloody haori was, and she didn't have time to find it. For now she had to keep him warm, for she didn't want him to catch a cold, if demons even caught colds…

What she noticed while she fell under him was that his hair was damp. This made her worry more because he was wet. 'That's why his skin reflected on the light,' she said to herself in realization as she blushed. Poking him in the arm, she leaned against the tree. "I don't know why you left, but at least you're alright."

She heard him stir, but didn't look at him. "You're waking up, I see," she stated while looking to the side. He had shifted in his position and was now staring down at her. She didn't want to look him in the eyes, so she made her way to her feet, and didn't acknowledge the look of confusion he was modeling. "We'll go back when you're ready," she simply said as she made her way to the middle of the clearing. She sat down with her legs to the side and looked at the clouds. 'He really just wanted to relax…'

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. When had she come for him? How did she know where he was? He looked down at himself, and his eyes became even wider. _Why_ was he wearing a cream colored haori? Shaking his head, he inhaled Rin's scent. He sighed at the smell she was giving off; she was mad at him, while at the same time sad.

Forcing his tired body to stand, his eyes pierced through her back, searching for answers. Why was she acting like this? He didn't have the time to find an answer, for Rin was in pain and it was his entire fault.

He made his way to her, and stopped behind her form on the grass, making sure she knew his shadow was draped over her. He raised an eyebrow when she patted the seat next to her, and he reluctantly sat, the pain coming back.

He didn't bother to say anything when he noticed the sun was going down. Laying down on his back and putting his arm behind his head, he watched as the clouds slowly broke apart and conjoined. His eyes softened, and his heavy exterior ceased. Closing his eyes, he made sure to still be alert of his surroundings. Besides Jaken that was over a mile away and was heading closer, there wasn't anything that concerned him.

"Lord Sesshomaru…" Rin said as she looked over to him. Her eyes widened. He looked _too_ beautiful. She must have forgotten to tie his haori, for it was showing off his well toned chest beautifully. She admired the way the ends of his hair curled inwards when it was wet, as well at how shiny it was.

"Hmm?"

She turned away when his right eye opened. She smiled and nodded as usual, while trying to see what her lord was so peaceful about. He was staring at the sky as if he was looking for something—anything—in particular. Choosing how close she was to him, she laid her body down half a foot away from his own. She noticed how small she was compared to his demonic form. "Are you sure that you're-"

"Fine," the youkai replied as his eyes slowly closed again. "You shouldn't worry yourself so much."

She looked over at him and smiled warmly. "Yes," she said with another nod, and gave her attention to the sky. "If you say you're fine, then I believe you." Clouds would float by occasionally, as well as birds, but other than that, nothing else was going on. "Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked several minutes later, hoping that she wasn't nagging him again. When she got a mumble as a reply, she continued. "Do you think of me as a… burden?"

"What?" he said in confusion, which by all means caught Rin's attention. His eyes flickered as he struggled to sit up with his elbow and looked down at her, scanning her form to see if she was ill. "What are you talking about?" he asked with light concern, as he leaned over her, letting his long hair tickle her face. "Have you been paying attention to what Jaken says, again?" This had been going on since she hit the tender age of eleven; he had heard everything from Jaken telling her that if she touched another flower that she would die, to Jaken even going so low as telling her to run away and never come back to him.

As much as she tried looking away, his eyes were just so mesmerizing, so pretty. Without realization, she twirled a strand of his hair in her finger that was on her chest, and sighed. She knew she couldn't lie to him when he was like this. Nodding her head, she looked at her index finger that was covered with white hair. "But it's not his fault… I was just curious."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. She was curious about something? "About what?" he asked. "Care to explain in what ways you think you're a burden?" He slowly leaned his head down as her finger ran out of hair. He was noticing her rosy red lips for the first time. He tried looking away, but found that he couldn't for some reason.

Rin's chocolate eyes looked into his as well. "Well," she said, uninsured, as she looked from side to side, hoping that something would disturb them. When she didn't find anything, she tightened her grip on his hair. She lightly smiled at how soft and silky it was. It was dry, and she was glad at this. Pulling him closer when she ran out of hair again, she came to find that he was almost hovering over her; she didn't mind at all. "I… I just think that I'm slowing you down," she quietly said as she fluttered her eyes shut.

Sesshomaru sighed, while making a mental note to kill the toad later. "Is that it?"

"Something else _is_ bothering me," she confessed, as she let his hair unravel. She hoped that her answer wasn't said immediately after he had asked her his question.

Pushing him away slightly, she sat up and looked at him with serious eyes. This was new to her, and she had learned it from the best of the best. While still staring at him, she tried to fight a smile at how confused he looked. Now that she was looking at him... his features were quite soft.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she said, and blushed when she thought she sounded like a mouse, "Why am I still here? With Jaken, Ah-Un… _you_?" Her eyes narrowed as she scooted away from him. "I know that I'm doing nothing but slowing you down, and Master Jaken was right about that." She felt like leaving, but forced herself to stop when a weak hand grabbed the material of her kimono.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, and he was sure that he was blushing. Humans such as Rin blushed… and this was new to him, just like being serious was to her. Though he was put on the spot, he had to admit that she was a woman. He traced her squirming form, and looked away when a leg slipped out of her kimono…

Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth and immediately shut it. It took some time for him to find the right words, for the next time he looked at the sky, it was fully orange. "…Yes, I'll admit that you do slow me down," he said while looking strait at her. His lips slowly curved upwards.

Rin nodded understandingly, and felt the tears coming on. "I see." So it was true; she _was_ slowing him down. She knew this herself, but she didn't expect him to _admit_ it. 'Why didn't he just say it earlier?' she thought as she wiped under her eye. Sucking up her sadness, she hugged herself. 'Then there's only one thing I can do,' she said to herself as a tear fell. She was glad that he hadn't said his words cruelly or anything, and she knew that he had this planned. "I wouldn't mind if you let me live in a vil-"

"But," he said while looking up, a smile on his face, "some things are worth it."

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** I love this! …On with the story! Please review! To tell you this, Bad Blood's my most fun story to work with. The plot line is moving along nicely, and yes the summary is going to stay as it is. I don't have the heart to take it down and post 'something else' to replace it. I'm sorry the whole story was introduced in the first chapter, but as I said, this story was originally a oneshot! Not anymore, though! Hmph… all I can really say is for you nice readers to welcome the awaiting drama!

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	3. The Anger Within Her Erupts

··8/17/07

**Disclaimer:** Do you see all the ice cream stores in the world named Brijustme or xXFRESH PRiNCESSXx? When you do, this means that I've captured Rumiko Takahashi against her will! While I think of an underground plan so she can't have me arrested, as well as discuss the get away car with my band of ninjas, Inuyasha still belongs to her...

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_The Anger Within Her Erupts_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Rin stared at the back of Sesshomaru's head, while trying to fight the blush that was dying to cross her. 'Please hurry and get back to camp!' she pleaded, as she put a hand on her cheek. She could have sworn that it felt like it was on fire. 'I can't take this!' She let a small smile grace her face. She watched as her lord's hair swung from side to side as he walked. He had still yet to tie his haori, but she didn't mind, for she liked to see his glowing chest, though she would never admit it...

"_But," he said while looking up, a smile on his face, "some things are worth it."_

'What things are worth it?' she said to herself. '...Me?' She finally gave up and let a blush come over her. Sighing, she gasped when Sesshomaru turned towards her direction with a raised eyebrow. Shaking her head, she playfully pushed him in the back. "Go on. It's dark already, and I told Jaken I'd be back at sunset."

Sesshomaru looked over her tiny body. She was acting like she was when she was thirteen. She was timid around him constantly, and he felt like it was his fault. Moving aside, he let her walk in front of him. The mind of a woman was something he would never understand... but it was worth a shot. He attempted to tap her on the shoulder, but he instantly knew she was sensing his movements when her legs walked faster.

Stopping, he rubbed his chin and waited for her to notice he wasn't following her.

"I'm not coming back for you!"

He let his eyes focus, and came to see that she was almost thirty feet ahead of him. Sighing, he was standing next to her in the blink of an eye. "Someone's persistent," he said under his breath, and shook off the chocolate colored eyes that were glaring at the side of his head. He slightly winced at the punch he got in the arm. If he were fully healed it would be nothing, but he guessed that his strength was of a human's right then. He hated showing weakness, and tried looking away from her apologetic eyes, but found that he couldn't.

Rin patted her lord's sore spot, and pushed him again to get him going. "No," she said while looking down. She knew that her cheeks were cherry red. "I like to think of myself as..." She put on a thinking look, and snapped her fingers. "Perplexing."

Perplexing, huh? Smart girl.

Sesshomaru hid the fascination in his eyes, and continued walking. "You do a fabulous job at that," he said with a small smile, and once again got a punch in the arm. This "smiling" thing caused him nothing but pain, and his face hurt from it.

"Hey!" the woman scowled, as she slightly smiled as well. Letting this quickly turn to a full smile, she glanced at him. "It's nice to know that you notice me," she commented, as she felt his eyes scan her again. She balled her hands into fists, ready to smack him at where he was looking, but soon came to find that he wasn't staring at her midsection, but the two things that were hanging around her waist. "Sorry!" she apologized, as she took them off and handed them to him. "I forgot," she said sheepishly, as he took the two swords.

Lifting her head when he didn't reply, she gasped when his eyes were directed to the right. She heard the quick rustle of leaves before a demon that she wasn't sure of flew into the air. She grabbed his arm when he was about to charge after it. "No," she said with a pointed finger, as if she were telling a child to not play with its favorite doll because they were on punishment. This would work with him. "You're not healthy." Her grip only got stronger when she felt him tense, as well as a vein in his arm bulge from pressuring himself, and she smiled when he nodded rather pathetically. "Good!" she said with glee, as she walked in front of him. "Don't fall behind."

Rolling his eyes, he continued following the woman. She was so... odd. If she weren't there with him, he would have surely taken off after the demon and killed it for stalking him. Not that he cared, for it was a worthless thing, but Rin was right; he wasn't healthy. The snake youkai's venom was still in his body, for he had passed out from the impact of having so much of it injected in him. If it weren't that bad, he could have slit himself with one of his swords to get it out before it spread, but it was too late.

He was physically _useless_ for about two days.

He flinched. If anything were to happen to Rin...

He didn't have a grudge against anyone except for his brother (and Naraku), but they were starting to "converse" more. It all started when Kagome demanded that Inuyasha let him meet their first child, Inuyaku. They had talked a lot, and he came to see that his younger brother wasn't that bad. After his two nieces were born, he had completely given up on killing the half demon for their sakes, as well as his own.

Rin had taken a liking to them, as well as he. The middle child, Yuri, was a reincarnation of their father, not that Inuyasha would know this. They had the same everything, except for the fact that Yuri was female. She looked completely full demon, and he was fascinated by this. Even her scent gave off the smell of a full demon.

His eyes narrowed, letting them take over his body, and he became stiff. Lifting his head, he scanned the sky, and let a low growl escape him when the demon was still there. In a flash it was gone, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Directing his eyes to find Rin, he was glad to see that she had made it to camp, and was crouched in front of the fire while trying to block Jaken's screaming worries and rants as to where she had been.

Shaking his head, he figured he might as well get it over with and be hugged to death by the toad.

&&&&&

"Kagura," a low voice called from the corner of a hut. His eyes narrowed when he got no answer, and he called out her name again. He patiently waited, and when he still didn't get any acknowledgment as to where she was, he held his hand out, and instantly something red and bulging appeared in it. Clutching the thing with a pulse, he heard a yelp from a distance. It wasn't long before a woman in a white kimono with green and red designs was standing in front of him.

"Y-yes... Master?" Kagura choked out, as she held her right hand over where her heart should be. "H-how... can I assist you tonight?" she asked with closed eyes. The pain was all too familiar, even if this was used to get her to obey his orders countless of times... over and over. She coughed in an attempt to catch her breath when he released her heart. Falling to her hands and knees, she regained her ability of herself.

Naraku smiled warmly, unaware of the way he always treated his extra body part. "Nice to see you here," he said while looking strait at her. His entire body was hidden in the shadows of the dark hut. "I have business to solve."

Kagura lifted her head and looked to find her master. "Such as?" she asked, as she found two red slits staring at her, knowing right away that they belonged to Naraku. "Am I the only one involved?"

Naraku snickered. "Yes, as it seems... you are." Rubbing his chin, he shook his head. "No! In fact... take Kanna with you. She'll be of assistance in this," he said with a small smile, as he laughed to himself. "How are the youkai brothers and the wolf? I haven't heard of them much since they started chatting, and Koga's been working on his pack, no?"

The woman nodded understandingly, while trying to hide her slight blush. "I haven't bothered to look for Inuyasha to steal his shards. He's become overprotective of the wench and everyone around him since he started reproducing." She knew that he had at least two children, and knowing humans, they had heirs almost as much as rabbits. "Koga's popped out a few children as well with a red headed demon." She looked away when Naraku nodded at her to continue. "As for Sesshomaru..." She hoped her face wasn't that red. "...I have no information on him," she lied, and hoped that Naraku wasn't reading her mind right then.

"Enough catching up," Naraku snapped. "I happen to know that Inuyasha's youngest holds three of Kagome's shards, while Sesshomaru entrusted the human he travels with, Rin, with the two he has from slaying demons, and Koga has two as well." Reaching into the sleeve of his kimono, he pulled out the Shikon no Tama that was tainted black completely. It had been twelve years... _twelve_ years. A person could become extremely determined if given the time.

"Yeah, what about them?" Kagura asked, as she got on her feet. "Inuyasha's youngest was given the shards as a present from Kagome, while Rin was given hers from Sesshomaru, for he can't keep them himself, and Koga's still got his in his arm and leg." She flinched when her master laughed deeply in his throat. With the raise of a hand, her older sister was standing at her side, as little and puny as she had always been. She saw the Shikon no Tama in her mirror, as well as the chunk of it that was missing. Both nodded and awaited their orders. It had been far too long since they had gotten reacquainted with their enemies.

"I want them; the shards. I've waited long enough."

&&&&&

Rin's eyes glanced to the left from the fire; she smiled. There was her lord, sleeping as usual, with his ever so unreadable look on his face. She didn't know whether it was filled with kindness, hatred or any of the above. He was so confusing, and she was almost positive that Jaken had put him in a bad mood with his rambling. She was in a bad mood as well, and she was sure that Jaken knew this.

As for Ah-Un, the demon had remained as quiet as can be, and was currently eating grass.

She, on the other hand, was anything _but_ quiet... in her mind. She knew better than to talk to Jaken in a way to show that she was mad, for he would talk... and talk... and _talk_, until his words would spin in her mind for the rest of her life. His 'lizards aren't friends' speech he gave her when she was twelve was still in effect. It was only a bite on the finger...

Sighing, she lifted her head only a mere inch, and tuned into what Jaken was yelling at her about. After hearing less than five words, she tuned out. 'Is he... punishing me?' she said to herself with a raised an eyebrow. 'He can't do that... can he?' She desperately looked at her lord, and sighed again when he was still sleeping.

She was a woman now, a twenty year-old woman... and she wanted to be treated like one. She was still known as a _girl_ around her male family, including Sesshomaru.

"Why is that?" she asked no one in particular in a whisper, as she brought her legs up to her chest. She had started talking to Sesshomaru more, and this amazed her, for he wasn't pushing her away like she thought he would. Instead, it seemed like he was bringing her in. A small smile came over her, as she traced his semi-innocent looking face. 'He looks so young... I wonder how old he is.'

He would always be a father figure in her eyes, but she wanted more... so much more. She didn't know if it was a phase, but he was her first crush; he was the first boy she had fantasized about that wasn't from her immediate family; he was... the first boy she had imagined kissing; he was...

'My love,' she said to herself with a blush, as she let her index finger trace her lips. She had always had a thing for her lord, but she assumed that it would pass the minute another tall boy with amber eyes and white hair would pass by. The only other person she'd seen with this description was Inuyasha, but she had no feelings for him. "Why is that?" she said again, and got a raised eyebrow from Jaken.

"Rin!" the toad said with a scowl. "Have you forgotten about our sleeping lord?! Keep your voice down before he awakens!" Giving up on the girl when she looked at him like he had just slapped her, he leaned into the sleeping Ah-Un behind him. He stared at the flames two feet away from him. 'Thank goodness that Lord Sesshomaru is going to be healed tomorrow.' He looked to the sky. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take. Rin's a big responsibility.' He sighed when she looked at him, tracing his face as if she were expecting him to answer. "Why is that... _what_?"

Rin was quick to shake her head, and she quietly bid her master goodnight.

Jaken leaned into Ah-Un and looked to his lord. "Alright," he said, as he let his eyes fixate on the woman before him. She really was a blossom. Her long brownish-black hair went down to her waist, and was always left down. She was indeed tall, and had everything that a regular woman should. "Just don't go pulling stunts. Goodnight." Letting his eyes close, his dreams took over his mind faster than Rin could run.

Rin shook slightly, and looked to the stars. There were so many... all in different shapes and sizes. 'Is it true that there's one for every person?' she said to herself as she pictured all the men in the land. There were a lot of stars. 'There can't be _that_ many,' she thought with a grin.

She gasped when a shooting star passed by, and she quickly made a wish. Not wanting to tell anyone what it was, she bit her bottom lip. "I hope it comes true." Making her way to her feet, she dusted off the invisible dirt from her kimono, and crossed her arms over her chest. 'Lord Sesshomaru is sleeping.' She glanced at her master and semi-pet. 'They're sleeping as well.' She knew it would be rude to wake any of them and ask if she could go for a walk, but she had to clear her mind.

Staring out into the path where she and her lord had returned from, she noticed that there was a field with nothing but grass to the side. 'I won't go far.' Bidding her male family a silent goodbye, she was on her way.

It was a beautiful night. The moon was directly in the sky, and the stars seemed to reflect on it. Looking down, she noticed that the grass was blue and not green. "It's all so wonderful," she said with a smile. If she were happy, sad, depressed or any of those other feelings, she still always smiled. "For Lord Sesshomaru." Not smiling around him was just as bad as being angry.

They didn't fit well with her personality.

Giggling slightly so she wouldn't stir her knocked out companions, she smiled. "He says I'm too happy to be mad at anything." Was this true? The first time she had showed anger around Sesshomaru was when she was eleven.

"_Master Jaken! Leave me alone!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her tiny hands were rested on her hips, and her face was red. "I do not! I do not! I do __**not**__! Stop saying that!"_

_The toad skipped down the trail in the middle of a field. "Oh yes you do! The boy in the village was staring at you alright! You like him!" he teased with a pointed finger, as well as adding a laugh to his statement. "We should have left you there with him! I'd like to see what kind of children come out of you if you marry a man of his looks!"_

_Rin blushed. "It's not nice to make fun of others," she reminded in a whisper, as something soft touched the top of her head. Looking up, she smiled. She reached just above Sesshomaru's knees, which meant that his hair would occasionally get in her face if she were to get close enough to him._

_The boy who stared at her while they were passing a village was indeed "cute", but that was all she felt for him. He was tall, which made her guess that he was no more than a few years older than her. He had dark brown hair, almost white skin, and a mixture of brown and green eyes that were amazing._

_Holding in the anger that was building up in the pit of her stomach from Jaken, she sighed slightly. She made sure to keep a smile on her face when her lord looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. His face was the same as ever, but she knew almost everything about him from Jaken. Every expression was the same: the look of the one who doesn't care. Though... his eyes seemed to have gotten softer since she began traveling with him. She didn't know if this was true, but she had heard Jaken talking about it while kicking a tree, his own way of getting over the grievance of having to look after her._

"_Yes?" she asked, once realizing that her lord was staring at her. Her eyes widened when he came down to her level, and she looked him strait in the face. She felt her cheeks tingle when he grabbed her right hand and formed it into a fist. He held it tight until it started to turn red, then released it. _

_She stared at it as if it were going to save her life. "Wha-"_

"_Use it."_

_She knew not to doubt him, and nodded. "What for?" she asked, as she looked at her hand with circumspection. She didn't know why, but she liked the feeling. Her hand hurt from the pressure she was putting on it, and now that she was staring at it, it looked familiar. "You use this a lot," she said in shock. The redder it got, the more she wanted to hit something._

_Sesshomaru nodded, and pointed a finger at Jaken who was still skipping without a care. "Hold it tight no matter what, and make sure you always hit him in the head." He looked to the side. "It's his weak spot." He would kill the toad himself, but he was too tired. He had been awake thinking that night, and it was one of his sleeping nights, for he only slept once every two weeks._

_She nodded with a smile and thanked him. She gasped when he grabbed her arm, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. His face was the same as ever, and this made her happy. He had taught her something! 'What's the matter with him?'_

"_Here," the demon said, as he pressed between her eyebrows with a finger. In an instant, she had three lines in her forehead, making her look extremely mad. "Now go."_

Rin looked down at her hand. It had formed into a fist on its own account. 'Lord Sesshomaru... you taught me how to be angry.' She gave her attention to the moon. Squinting her eyes, she sighed. "You and the moon have so much in common," she came to find. "You're both hard, unique looking when you want to be, and bright."

Her eyes were fully closed by then, and she swiped a finger under her eye. She felt water, and flinched when a tear trailed down her cheek. "You both... don't have room for others, nor the time." She was being such a fool. She knew very well that her guardian hated everyone, even more, humans. She thought that she could change him, but she guessed she was wrong. He had stopped the random killings that he would do when he was without her; Jaken had filled her in on this. He would only slay something when it was necessary. She knew that this was because of her. He didn't wish for her to see him tear something apart, for him to demolish anything, for her poor human mind wouldn't be able to take it.

Now that she thought of it, the moon and Sesshomaru had _nothing_ in common.

"The moon brings peace, and you still have the nerve to kill things," she concluded, as she punched the spot next to her. "The moon doesn't have a choice whether it wants to hate, and you... you hate everything—and you always have." Punching the grass again, she felt a chill go through her body, and she gasped when there was a drop of blood going down her knuckle. She quickly sucked on it, hoping that a demon wouldn't come after her, or even worse, Sesshomaru.

"Rin."

Her eyes were the size of an owl's, and she knew she was blushing. "Yes?" she asked through a mouthful of flesh, which came out as anything but what she had just said. Realizing this, she took her hand out of her mouth and wiped the saliva on the grass. "Um... yes?" she asked again, and got a look of acknowledgment from her lord. 'Wait a go...'

Without knowing with he was doing, he sat down next to her. He tried looking away from her mouth that was oozing saliva like a newborn, but found that he couldn't. She had been sucking on her hand, which gave her lips a rosy red shade. Shaking his head, he gave his attention to a small spot near her knuckle that was slowly turning red again. She blushed and hid it behind her back.

"It's nothing," Rin instantly responded, as she relaxed in her lord's presence. She could feel Sesshomaru's eyes piercing through her everything, searching for anymore injuries, but she didn't really care at the moment. She was fine, for now that was, and didn't feel that he should have the responsibility of her like this. 'Because you have the power to kill me.'

Sesshomaru felt his icy exterior melt away. His face was full of concern for the girl sitting next to him. Naturally, he would careless about the wound, for it wasn't even the size of a bug bite. Her... attitude. Something was wrong, but he didn't know how to approach her about it. He had noticed that Rin had been confiding, as well as talking to him, ever since he got hurt. Was she... worried? Shaking his head from the thought, he looked away when her eyes narrowed.

Rin leaned into him, not once letting her gaze fixate on anything else. She was shocked, but didn't show it when he started to lean as well, as if he were trying to avoid her. Sticking her tongue out at him, she made her way to her feet. "You should be used to more blood being shed. In case you forgot from when you hit your head when the snake demon attacked, you _kill_ for a living." Without a wave or even a smile, she made her way back to camp. She felt light headed—not really—but more like she was going to die if she looked at Sesshomaru ever again. 'He doesn't get shocked, does he?' she said to herself as she felt something grip her right wrist tightly.

She gasped when she was forcefully spun around, and slammed into a warm chest. She felt him vibrate from the impact, and she pushed him away, not caring that she had caused him pain. "What?" she said while looking down. She didn't look innocent, happy, cheerful, or any of those other emotions that were displayed on her face normally. Her face was filled with nothing but anger for her lord. "If you're not going to say anything because _I'm_ not, I'd like to go to bed now."

She tried swatting his hand away, and felt the air get knocked out of her when she was slammed against a nearby tree. She could feel him leaning in, and he was staring at her like he did when he was about to hurt something. "...You know I hate it when you kill, let alone blood."

The demon stared down at her, and almost made their stomachs touch. He could smell her natural honey scent like wild, but this didn't stop him from getting something strait in her human mind. Though, now that he was looking at her innocent body, didn't think it was wise to say them. While easily getting her other wrist acquainted with the one he had when she tried to slap him, he really wished he had his left arm back. His strength had been brought back to him, but he was still in his human phase. He needed about half of the next day, and then he'd be declared fine. For some reason... Tensaiga was rejecting him.

Did it know that he was in bad condition?

"Rin, keep this in mind," he said coldly while looking into her eyes. She didn't look fearful at all, and this made him wonder just what kind of woman he had raised. Either way, his grip on her wrists tightened when he felt her try to get away from him; no way would he let this happen. She was partially his creation, for he had to admit that he was considered her father in this situation. "One of the reasons I kill is to keep you alive."

Rin hissed in anger and glared at him. No matter how angry and upset he was at her backstabbing, she knew deep down that he had the role of her father, and he would never hurt her. "Yes, _one_ of the reasons you kill is to keep me alive," she said with a snarl. "And what's the other reason?" she dared to ask. She wasn't at all affected when he got closer to her. She could see his eyes getting colder. "Is it because you can't let your emotions out, or is it because you enjoy the sight of blood?! I hate it!"

She wished that she could take back the shooting star. Wishing for a fight with Sesshomaru wasn't supposed to turn out like this.

She was proving that she was perplexing, and he fought the urge to raise an eyebrow at her behavior. She was so... confusing. Did she feel like this all along? Why did she hate it when he killed things?

He snapped back to reality when he felt her slip away from him. She pushed him in the chest in anger, and stormed back to camp. He watched as her plump body crashed onto the ground and didn't bother moving. This reminded him greatly of how she would act when she was upset with Jaken—not him.

Now that he thought of it, she had never had this much of an impact on him. He could feel the red marks that were her hands when they slapped against his chest.

What the... _hell_?

&&&&&

**Bri Note- **I'm so sorry for all the confusion, and all those other things! Sesshomaru's not meant to be stiff and mean like you're used to reading! I thought I'd give it a shot, but to my dismay, it's confusing some of you. _Bad Blood_ is based on Rin growing up, as well as his bubbling feelings!

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	4. His Left Arm

··9/22/07

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha doesn't belong to me! Sure, we've all sure has hell tried to have conquest over Inuyasha, Kagome, Sesshomaru etc... but we fail! You know why? I'll tell you why! It's because we're _not_ creative, _not_ all mighty, and _not_ imaginative! And this is the exact reason why I have a therapist... (ignore all)

**Summary: **Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_His Left Arm_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

He hoped it was all a dream.

His dreary eyes opened; he cursed everything in his way. He hated everything at the moment, and wished he was in a hut with absolutely _nothing_ inside it so he could clear his mind. He hated everything. Normally this was the only slogan that went through his mind, but on this irritating morning it wasn't.

Rin's words were fresh in his memory like they had been that night. She was so mad, _so upset_, that she hadn't looked at him at all throughout the hours of darkness. She was pissing him off, and he couldn't remember if she had ever caused him this much anger. She was a woman, not a teenager, so why was she making him act like this?

So she hated blood, eh? What was the matter with her? It was this red liquid that just happened to keep her alive, and she acts like it's a curse. Was it in her human nature to despise blood, or was it something that had grown on her from traveling with him for so long? Was she actually telling him that it was _his_ fault she was terrified of something, or was it her own fault for thinking such odd accusations? Either way, he was still pissed off about it nonetheless.

For the first time in his life he didn't know how to approach her. She had actually frightened him that night, as a matter of fact, she had _terrified_ him. Never would he admit this, but he liked it when she was mad. Her cheeks turned a red shade, as well as the rest of her face. He couldn't remember the last time she had gotten mad at him like that; he liked it deep down.

She was so overwhelming and confusing that his own mind was getting overwhelming and confusing as well. Why was that?

Sesshomaru's eyes became hard as he looked over Rin's body. She had started breathing faster, which told him that she was waking up. Actually, looking at her, he could tell that she was awake; her hands balled into fists assured him that his theory was correct. He was just realizing this, but she had quite a temper. Her back was facing him, but he could still predict that she had a frown on her face, which he didn't wish to see. She was a happy person all the time, and seeing her angry was ballistic, much like a natural disaster.

Making a scowl appear on his face, he looked away from her. After all, he was nothing more than a tall, handsome, _scary man... _

Yes! He had heard her. He was still regaining his abilities, but his hearing was something that didn't disappear. He had the nerve to call her a brat, but forced himself to keep the word to himself. So, she thought he was tall? Handsome? Whichever one, he didn't mind. He was tempted to think that it was her teenage hormones acting up, but came to find that she was going through an adult stage of anger. Her scent had changed dramatically, and it was giving off the smell that Kagome gave off, the smell of a woman. It would take some getting used to...

His face showed no signs of emotions as he stared down at his shaking sword. 'You're taking her side?' The sword shook more, and he gripped it, making it instantly calm down. Tensaiga, made from his father's fang, the thing he used to revive Rin, was taking _her_ side against his own. He wanted nothing more than to tell her a few threats and hope she got them clear, but it didn't seem like his father's spirit was going to allow him to do so. Damn it all.

He didn't know whether to act as her father, friend, or any of the above. In fact, he didn't have a clue what he was to her. All he knew was that she still looked up to him, and that was only because he was two heads taller. She had become independent. The more he thought of this, the more she was proving to be perplexing.

Rubbing his temples, Tensaiga started shaking, warning him that Rin was close to waking fully. 'Perplexing isn't the only thing you're fabulous at.' What did she want from him? He'd rather _die_ than apologize for killing demons, for it was like his duty. She had chosen to stay with him when he almost transformed from saving her. He had even given her a _choice_, and she chose him. Again, what did she _want_ from him?

He had heard the priest's words. The man wanted her to return to the village with him. Even though he gave her a choice, he would have pried Rin off him in a second. She was _his_ responsibility, _his_ semi-daughter... and Tensaiga would never let him live it down if he let her go.

She really wasn't a child anymore.

He remembered everything from her growing up years; from the talk from Kagome about puberty, to the "I'm not secure about myself" talk, and even to the "men" talk; the last two were between them, and this shocked him. But, one conversation between them would always have a special place within his black heart.

"_Lord Sesshomaru... when I die, will you never forget me?"_

He felt like killing the priest right then, but had to remember that Rin was naïve back then. Tainting her head with such violence would only make her grow up to be shallow and rather awkward. The priest's words were too placed in the depths of his heart. He hadn't bewitched Rin... even though he thought back then that she would join the holy man. Instead she had chased after him like she normally would, with that oh so happy smile on her face.

He felt sorry for her. She had to go through twelve years of following a demon she knew almost nothing about. Sure, Jaken had told her the basics about him, but other than that... she knew nothing. It was in her place to ask, for he wouldn't shove her away. She had always been a curious one while aging. He found her curious as well, for it amazed him that humans aged so... _fast_. Though he would never admit his age to anyone, he looked the same as he had when he had first found her, but in a more mature way. If he were to find a person his age in human years, they were a shock to him. They looked so... _old_. Humans his age already had strands of gray hair growing. This didn't apply to him, but it affected him in great ways.

When Tensaiga started shaking again he looked ahead of him, and tried fighting the blush that was coming up. Squatted in front of him was a woman who didn't look all that pleased with him. He felt his blood rush to his feet when she set her hand on his forehead. "Do you want something?" he managed to ask, as his eyes looked upwards at her hand. He completely forgot why he was mad at her.

Shaking her head without looking at his gorgeous face, she pulled her hand away. "I was just wondering why you were staring at me so-" She paused, and eyed the way he was staring at her. 'Just like you were before,' she said to herself. "...oddly. I'd like for you to stop it."

It took him quite some time to meet her gaze, and when he did, he wished he hadn't had. Her face wasn't as soft as he was used to seeing it. She still looked angry with him, and he had forgotten what she was so upset about. Whatever her reason was, he hoped that it would pass soon.

Rin noticed his shaking sword, but chose not to talk about it. "I'm still mad at you," she informed, as she made her way to her feet. "For now, don't talk to me." Turning away from him, she made her way through the trees of the clearing, hoping to find a place where she could think. "And _don't _follow me," she said rather coldly, and could have sworn that she heard Sesshomaru gasp, as well as Jaken's head snap her direction from the fire.

"Rin-"

"You're not my father!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened as a low growl vibrated in his throat. If it weren't for Tensaiga telling him to leave her alone, he would have chased after her and done something he knew he wouldn't regret later. He blinked a few times to see if what he had just witnessed was true. When there wasn't any sign of Rin near him, he began to panic in the inside.

His eyes narrowed, as he stood tall. The only ones left were Jaken and Ah-Un... and he felt extremely lonely. Rin would have no choice but to talk to him, for they were leaving later in the day. Little did she know, but the scent of humans everywhere was making him feel delirious.

His eyes felt hunger for Rin, and with her not being around, made his wit level drop. He felt cold, alone, and all those other words that meant what he was feeling. He cleared his throat, and instantly his toad assistant was standing in front of him. At least one thing around this place respected him...

"Have no fear!" Jaken said with a red face before Sesshomaru could get a word out. "I will make sure to put that wench in her place! Who is she in the right mind to talk to you like that?!" His grip tightened on his staff. He had been awake, sitting in front of the fire without a care in the world, and then... _her_ voice broke the peaceful silence. "Of course you are a father to her! You gave her life, raised her, brought her up and down through the years! You are rightfully her father, whether she likes it or not!"

Sesshomaru said nothing, but had it in him to knock the toad upside the head. He didn't wish to be known as her father as Jaken had said (it wasn't very often that he listened to the demon)... it didn't fit him. In fact, he couldn't remember if Rin had ever shown a daughterly side of her. She was more of a companion... a _female_ companion...

He wasn't even that much older than her... not that he would admit how old he actually was...

Clearing his throat again, he looked to Jaken, while trying to hide the disappointment in his face. "Watch her," was all he could think of saying, before walking off in the opposite direction she had gone. He needed time to think, time to himself, and also, time to think of something to talk to Rin about. He had to admit this himself: it wasn't everyday that he decided to have a random conversation with her, let alone Tensaiga.

She had hurt his _feelings_.

"Is that all, my lord?" Jaken asked, as he got off the cold ground. What was with his master? He was treating Rin differently... and it was about time he investigated. His lord and Rin had been spending odd time together. The part that choked him up was that they hadn't bothered to take _him_ along.

"Yes." Sesshomaru turned, and his eyes seemed to soften, but only for a few seconds. "If anything happens to Rin, I'll kill you."

&&&&&

"Kanna," Kagura huffed. "Just what kind of plan is he coming up with, anyway?" she asked her older sister. They had been awaiting orders on how to get the Shikon shards for almost a day. It was almost the afternoon, and she liked to do her work in the daylight, for there were always more witnesses. "I mean, all I have to do is find that 'Rin' when Sesshomaru's not around, and kaboom, you've got two shards. How hard can it be? Naraku's acting like I'm going to get killed. In case he hasn't noticed, Sesshomaru's still down."

"But you forget," Kanna said in her usual non-emotional voice. She looked into her mirror, and lifted it up so her ignorant younger sibling could see the almighty demon in it, no other than Sesshomaru. "This is what he looks like when he's not fully transformed, as you are aware of," she explained, and made the visual of Sesshomaru shift into a gigantic white dog. "This is what he looks like when he is. If you push him far enough in his condition, he'll surely change into this, killing you in the process."

Kagura shook her head. "No need to inform me," she noted as she stuck her nose in the air. "Naraku does a pretty good job of that on his own account." So she gave her face a breeze with her fan, hoping to calm her insides down. 'I'd still like to get a look at him...'

The girl in the white attire ignored her words, and instead focused on her mirror. It was showing her something, a woman and a youkai. She felt satisfied when the woman was standing in front of the dog demon. She looked distracted, odd and hurt.

"He's always around her."

Her black eyes flicked to her sister, and she noticed she was apprehensive. As usual, she hadn't thought about the plot much. "Naraku must be thinking a great deal about this one."

Kagura huffed again, and came down to her sister's level. Looking into the mirror, she grinned when Rin was walking away from Sesshomaru. "This is the perfect opportunity!" She also tried to hide her shock. Rin had just said something to Sesshomaru about him not being her father? "How strange."

Kanna nodded. "Yes," she said as coldly as ever. "As it seems, her feelings have finally started to show for the dog youkai. And, by the looks of it, they will be fully shown soon."

Red and black eyes dashed to the hut entrance when it opened. Out popped Naraku with an unusual grin on his face. "Yes?" they both said naturally. After all, he had the power to take their lives away, for he had created them. Kanna was always loyal to her master, while Kagura on the other hand... she was a beg to differ.

"Kanna," Naraku said, as he snatched her mirror. He held it in his hands, and twirled it. "I may have created you, but I'm not aware of just what kind of abilities you have." He grinned when she nodded.

"Does this mean you've come up with something?" Kagura slightly blurted out; she hadn't seen Naraku this excited since he made Hakudoshi out of his flesh... so many years ago. She hoped she had the job of collecting Rin. 'Sesshomaru...'

Naraku nodded. "Excellent," he said, completely ignoring the female youkai. "Kagura, my loyal incarnation... you'll be of assistance."

"With what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Trying to hide her blush wouldn't work for long, so instead, she took pleasure in her work; she killed. "Does slaughtering anything come with the job?" she asked as she made her fans appear in her hands, ready to kill at the slightest word.

"No," the half demon said with a glare sent towards her direction. "Kill on your own time. Until then, get used to mind indulgence."

A few minutes later, the demons were all nodding at each other. Naraku chose to speak up, for he could see that Kagura was about to take off when she took a feather out of her hair. "Go along with the mind control... and make a deal with Sesshomaru." He grinned. "We can't have mind indulgence without _both_ of them getting indulged, now can we?" Rin wasn't the only one he could mess with.

"Deal?" Kanna asked, as she got ready to gather her strength. What Naraku was asking of her would indeed take all her energy. She had never interfered with the _mind_ before...

"Yes." He wanted to see just how aggressive Sesshomaru could get. After all, Rin was one pretty woman. A fight or two to twist the man's mind would refresh his memory of the good old days. After all, getting to battle with the great youkai was somewhat an honor.

Kagura got down on a knee, and nodded when Kanna was ready. She felt so sorry for her. She knew how much power this was going to take. Her red eyes focused on the contraption. The mirror was glowing a mixture of white and light blue.

At her older sister's cue, she started talking into it.

&&&&&

Rin tried to fight the urge to cry when she felt a tear trickle down her cheek.

Constantly she kept turning back to camp, and when it disappeared from sight, she continued on her way, hoping that no one would follow her. "I'll leave him alone for awhile..." she said with a frown, as she folded her arms across her chest. Her mind had started talking nonsense to her. "Then apologize."

'_Go back...'_

"No!"

'_Why, Rin? You've never been afraid to show weakness in front of Sesshomaru before. I find this oddly interesting...'_

Rin's eyes widened, and she bit down on her bottom lip. She could taste the blood, but kept biting. "I-I... I don't know what you're talking about," she said to nothing with a sigh, and didn't seem affected when her head drooped so she was staring at the ground as she walked. "Say what you want. There's no way Sesshomaru-sama will forgive me." Hugging herself, she let another sigh leave her. "After all the things I said to him last night and this morning... I wouldn't be shocked if he never talked to me again."

She gasped when her inner voice snickered. Since when did she have one? She expected her inner voice to be kind and caring, and not... well... _unkind_ and _uncaring_. Shaking her head, she felt relieved when she saw a hill up ahead. She made her legs walk faster. The sooner she got there, the sooner she would be able to clear her mind and try to relieve herself of her so called conscience.

'_Aww. Sesshomaru-sama? Since when was it alright to address him in such a "caring" matter, Rin?'_

Rin blushed; the voice sounded familiar. "Why do you care? It's his name after all..." she said in a whisper, as she fiddled with her hands. "Who cares whether I add a cute name to it or not?"

'_He does; it's as simple as that. What makes you think he'd care for humans like yourself and I, just because you add something to his name you think's cute? ...What about Kagura?'_ the voice tempted with a snicker, which made her lifeline gasp. _'Yes, Kagura. Forgotten about her, have we? In case you forgot, he's seen her naked. And yourself?'_

The woman brought her hand up to the top of her kimono, and pulled it over the other half more securely, while making sure to tighten the string around her waist. "...No," she honestly answered, hoping that she was covered enough. "He shouldn't. I'm... underdeveloped, I guess." She knew it wasn't right to refer to herself as such a thing, but she had seen other women her age; they were huge.

Her mouth filled with disgust at the dog demon. 'Does Sesshomaru-sama... _like_ huge?' she thought, as she smacked herself in the head. 'No! If he did... he would have said something! Wait! No! He wouldn't have said something, because he _never_ says anything like that! Looks shouldn't matter to him! Just look at me! He still keeps me around!'

The inner voice laughed evilly, much like the one of a demon. _'What are you waiting for? Why not ask him?'_ it tempted, as Rin flinched. _'You'll never get an answer unless you woman up and talk to him.'_

"I can't," Rin stated, still talking in a whisper. She had wandered quite far from her campsite, and wished Sesshomaru's watchful eyes she had grown used to were hovering over her. He had done this mainly when she was growing up; she had taken a liking to flowers, and she was never left alone when she wanted to gather some. "He's still mad at me." Yet again, the voice was ringing in her head. She had heard it before. 'It must be me being jealous. There's no way it's her...'

'_He should be. After what you had to say to him, I wouldn't talk to you either. You can't blame him. You told Sesshomaru that you hated it when he kills things, as well as blood. Has it ever occurred to you that I—we—wouldn't be alive without him?'_

Rin had by that time stopped talking to her conscience, and was standing on top of the hill. She had misjudged her accusations. It wasn't a hill she was standing above, but a cliff, for she was just remembering that she had originally dragged Sesshomaru to a mountain when he had first gotten hurt. Below her were tons of boulders, as well as decomposed rocks and ash; she could even see the village she and Jaken had visited.

Sighing, she sat, making sure to kick her legs in the air ever so often, much like she had when she was little. 'Memories...'

"_Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called in almost a scream as she wiped her face with the sleeve of her kimono. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She cupped her hands over her mouth this time, and let her voice echo threw the forest. "It didn't work!"_

_Her brown eyes scanned all over, and she sighed with relief when she found her lord sitting on the edge of a cliff. Shaking her head, she had to remember what she wanted him for. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she called again, and got two dull eyes as a reply. She suddenly realized that he was waiting for her to come to him, and she kicked her legs into gear._

_Sesshomaru managed to raise an eyebrow at the girl before him. Her face had a red tint to it from crying, and her eyes had a red tint as well. "Did you fall?" he managed to ask, as the girl sat next to him. He regretted his question the minute she grabbed his own sleeve and started sobbing in it. He regretted his actions even more when he lifted her by the wrist into his lap, just like he would do when he wanted her to sleep._

"_I-I... Jaken..." Rin sobbed, as her grip on the fabric tightened. "I hurt him!" she yelled, as she lifted her head to her lord. Holding out her left hand in his face so her palm stared at him, she clapped her eyes shut. "You taught me how to hurt him! So I want you to cut my hand off for me!"_

_Sesshomaru slightly winced. He needed sleep more than anything, and this crying human obviously wasn't going to give it to him. "Rin, that was the point." This was the first time she was showing tears in front of him. Why did he feel __affected?_

_Looking down at her, he used his index finger to wipe her face. "Hurting him is something you should do more often. I do, and look how great I turned out." He pointed his finger at himself to get his words through her head. "Whatever things he said, ignore them, alright?"_

_Smiling warmly, she snuggled into his chest, hoping to get a nap. All that crying had worn her small body out. "No!" she said cheerfully. "It was fun! At first he held his head and rolled around on the floor saying what an ungrateful child I am, and the next thing I knew, he was saying a whole bunch of things that you told me not to say! Some of them were dumba-"_

_Sesshomaru placed his finger on her lips, silencing her, and sighed. "I get the point."_

As she placed her own finger on her lips, she realized that she had been one pest of a child.

"Sesshomaru-sama..."

&&&&&

His thoughts drove him to insanity, as he shook his head. Right then, Rin was going to be added to his hate list, but he knew that he could never do that to her. She was far above that, and he lightly smiled. He hoped that this was nothing more than a phase, and the minute it was over, they would leave the mountains; he couldn't risk taking her along with him when she was like this. She wasn't bleeding, so this was plain anger that she was giving him; she was actually pissing him off.

She was such an oddball.

He felt his face flush, and he shook his head. No way would he follow in Inutaisho and Inuyasha's footsteps. Though... their footsteps had a good outcome. His thoughts instantly came to a halt when a cold feeling came over him, and Tensaiga started shaking yet again, warning him to stay on his guard. Being caught sitting near a stream was the _least_ of his problems.

"Having trouble raising your _daughter_?"

Looking over his shoulder, he wasn't shocked when it was the woman he hadn't seen in two years. He had seen her when Rin was eighteen, for she had tried to steal the shards he had entrusted her with, and he wanted to slice her in half for referring to Rin as his daughter. "Yes, Kagura?" he casually asked without a care, as he made his way to his feet. She was staring at him rather awkwardly, and this confused him. So she wasn't trying to kill him? Finally.

Kagura had her fan positioned across her chest, but for some reason she couldn't move correctly. Her body felt stiff, numb, and all those other words that meant seasick. "I-I've been sent to make a deal with you." She looked into his usual cruel eyes. They were filled with something that she had never seen in a man before. Men in this time capsule had up to _five wives_, so why couldn't he look at her that way? 'He has no feelings for that wench.'

Sesshomaru took a step closer to her, but made sure to keep his distance. He ignored Tensaiga that was silently telling him to get away from her. "Such as?" he asked. "It's not everyday that I'm graced with your unwanted presence, so I'm guessing that what you have to say is important."

Kagura laughed deeply. "I'm here on business," she explained with rolled eyes. "...Give us Rin, and you get this." Reaching behind her back magically, she pulled out something she knew the demon before her would sell his soul to. She laughed more when Sesshomaru's eyes widened. This was a first to her. Naraku had gone through many interrogations and negotiations with the _dead_ to get this.

His left arm.

&&&&&

**Bri Note:** Thanks for the reviews, you all get a raspberry parade. As you can see, things aren't going well between Sesshomaru and Rin. Will I kill one of them? Ooh, ooh, _or_... will I make Sesshomaru and Kagura hook-up? I still update regularly on school days, so never fear, Bri's here! Confusion yes, but that's just me being me!

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	5. Kanna Confronts Kagome

··9/26/07

**Disclaimer:** Aren't there teeny tiny exceptions? But isn't this _my_ story, with _my_ plot and creativeness? Don't I get anything besides a pat on the back? A quarter? A cookie, perhaps? Inuyasha deserves more! Besides, who knows if he can even eat cookies, anyway? So, when it comes to the owner of Inuyasha, I have one thing to say: as if.

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Kanna Confronts Kagome_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

What the... _hell_?

Sesshomaru's body was pathetically frozen; he couldn't breathe. Was that _his_ arm?

He found it in him to let his eyes trace her body, and he felt semi-satisfied when Kagura looked serious. Her scent said the same thing as well. She was serious, as well as telling the truth. He couldn't detect a trace of a lie anywhere. The shock stopped him from thinking correctly, so he didn't even realize that Kagura was grinning madly.

Kagura smiled, one of the firsts she had shed in front of someone who wasn't the enemy. "Hey, Sesshomaru, you alright?" she said after noticing that the demon looked paler. It was either his shock, or the sun moving so it was in his face.

Gripping the pulsing arm in her hand, she looked down at it. "You're about to pass up an opportunity like this, _just_ so you can have a woman, a _human_, safe?" She would never understand the inu youkai family. Why did they fancy humans?

She watched a tint of color come to his cheeks; it wasn't huge, but enough to know that he was coming back or blushing. Demons such as herself never showed emotion in front of others that could propel them. Sesshomaru was right now...

Sesshomaru stared at the arm in Kagura's left hand. He wished with all his might that his amber eyes were staring at something else. He had no interest in Kagura, nor the trees behind her, so his flesh and blood was the only thing he could let his eyes land on. The scent said it was his arm, the way it looked told him it was his arm, and the two purple stripes on it told him it was his arm. He could have sworn that it was moving in the female demon's grasp. For some reason, his left shoulder was on fire.

He soon found his right arm reaching out for it, but knew deep down that he was forgetting something. He couldn't think strait, and knew that what he was forgetting was important.

"So you're giving away your custody of the wench?"

Oh, _that_.

&&&&&

"I think I'll go pick flowers today!" a cheerful little girl said with a smile.

She dusted the invisible dirt off her knees, before looking down from her father's favorite tree branch. She had been told by her mother that she had been drawn to it since birth; the sacred tree was the only place she could take her where she wouldn't cry. She loved the tree because of this as well, for she liked having something in common with her father besides her looks.

Coming down in one leap, she took in her surroundings. The clearing looked as plain as ever; just how she liked it. The sacred tree was the biggest and oldest tree in the forest that was named after her father.

Putting her hands in the sleeves of her baby pink kimono with red swirls on it, she carefully made sure to watch where she was going, as well as keep watch for predators. She had been told since she could remember that the two conjoined jewels around her neck were dangerous, and she should never use them.

Why did a _six year-old_ have them, you ask?

"Because Granny Kaede said that I'm a mi... _ka_?" she said in confusion, for she couldn't remember the right word her grandmother had called it. After all, she was only six, her other two siblings didn't have her "powers", and there was this beautiful butterfly flying around when she had been given the speech...

"Grannies are so boring," she said with a sigh, as she smiled. She could see the clearing with nothing but flowers up ahead. She figured that she would pick some for her mother, then return back to her village before her father would get worried.

She looked to the sky. It was almost sunset; she could run the rest of the way back home instead of walking. She was a hanyou after all, the daughter of Inuyasha.

She looked just like him, except for the fact that she was in a small female form.

Giggling, she continued on her way, hoping that she wouldn't bump into something. She had never killed a thing in her life, but she did have claws like her father and siblings. Just like her mother, she hated to see things get slaughtered; the rest of her family thought otherwise.

Her left ear twitched when she heard a light whimper. At first she thought it was the sound of someone splashing water, but she came to find that her hearing was correct; someone was crying.

"Hello?" she called out as she stopped. If there was a person in need, she would help them. Her human blood made her this way. "Are you alright?" she called once she got no logical answer. "Where are you?"

She bit her bottom lip. The sound had stopped, but came back thankfully, this time a little louder. She gave a sigh of relief, and chased after the crying. The more she ran, the darker it seemed to get. She was in her father's forest, and had never been this deep into it. She was always afraid that something would jump out, recognize her as Inuyasha's daughter, and show no mercy as they sharpened their fangs, ready to devour her in one bite.

She shivered, but still went after the person in need. She called to them a fourth time, and was almost sure that she heard a faint voice reply. Kicking her demonic legs into gear, she ran through the bushes and trees, careful not to disturb anything the slightest inch.

It wasn't long before she was considered far from home, and was in a clearing she had never been at. It was formed in a circle, and there was a trail that led out of it, which she assumed brought her to the start of the mountains. She wasn't sure if she was still in Inuyasha forest, but all in all, she was safe. She knew already that her parents were going crazy and killing everyone in their way to find her.

This bothered her young mind. Her parents were always careful as to where she went, what she did and when she did them. It was like they were hiding something from her. "They're not bad guys," she said with a smile, as she leaned on a tree trunk. She had become terribly tired. "They're not."

"_...Is someone there?"_

Her amber eyes widened at the emotionless voice as she let her ears flip back and forth, hoping that she would catch where the sound was coming from. Once she heard them call the same words again, she chased after it.

It was a tree directly in front of her. It was about two hundred feet away, but with her keen sense of sight, she had managed to see the person. It was a girl with snow-white hair, black eyes, pale skin, and a sad look on her face.

She gasped and knelt down beside her, checking for injuries. She noticed the red spot on her kimono. It was around the knee area, which told her that this girl must have fallen.

"Are you alright?" she asked, as she set a small claw on the girl's shoulder. When she got no answer, she figured she might as well take things slowly. The stench of blood had started to get to her, and she needed to get this girl to her village as soon as possible. "Um... what's your name?" she asked with a smile. The girl didn't look much older than herself, so she was sure that what's her name would lighten up to her. "Where are your parents?"

The girl looked to her right. 'This is definitely Inuyasha's child,' she said to herself, once she noticed the ears perched on top of her head, as well as the silver hair. "Kanna," she responded while pointing to her right knee. "I fell while picking... _flowers_."

What a disgusting word.

When her only companion wasn't looking, she reached for her mirror with her left hand next to her, noticing that she might as well make conversation with the hanyou. "What's your name?" she asked in her usual tone, as she set the mirror in her lap. 'Naraku, I have her. Go on with exploding the village.' She was wasting more power, but knew she had to obey her master at all times.

The girl smiled widely. "Kagome!" she said with a giggle. "I have the same name as my-"

Her eyes narrowed when she heard a huge bang.

Kanna did her best to look shocked, as well as hurt, for the half demon thought she was injured. "What was that?" she asked while pointing to the sky. "It sounded like-"

"A bomb," Kagome finished with a gasp, as she quickly hopped into the tree Kanna was leaning on. She was at the top of the tall vegetation in two leaps, hoping to oversee the forest. Her youkai senses were going haywire, telling her that something was wrong. The hair behind her neck that was standing made this a positive thought.

She could see smoke and hear faint screams, mostly of people calling out her father's name.

Kagome yelped when a hand covered her mouth.

&&&&&

Sesshomaru continued staring at Kagura, hoping with all his might that she would say this was a joke and attack him. He needed her to say those words... because he didn't believe what he was hearing, as well as seeing. She wasn't supposed to have his arm!

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Come on already," she said with a sigh. "I've been here for at least an hour, and you've hardly said anything." Her red eyes looked to the arm that was pulsing in her left hand. "You're seriously _thinking_ about having the opportunity to regain your arm? ...Don't you need this to be more powerful?" She knew that even in the state Sesshomaru was in that he could still kill her with one swing of his claw, yet he was hesitating.

She didn't use swords when she killed, but was pretty sure that you needed both arms to get the full use of the contraptions.

"What's the matter?" she questioned after she got more silence. "Why has that _human_ grown on you so much?"

She was far above jealously... or so she thought.

Sesshomaru shook his head. Even with him being in the pathetic position, he had to admit that what Kagura had asked was a good question. He didn't know why he was hesitating, he didn't know why Rin's face was four-playing in his head, and he _didn't_ know why he felt like a load had been put on his shoulders.

His eyes focused on Kagura, still waiting for her to say this was all a joke.

"...Why Rin?" he got around to asking, and semi-flinched at Kagura's movements. She had come towards him so they were standing three feet apart. It was getting dark fast, and he didn't trust Jaken with Rin's safety overnight since the night when she got kidnapped; he would never let that happen again.

He felt like he was neglecting her the day he lost her. She was in the hands of another, and to makes things worse, a demon. They could have easily taken advantage of her, or other things that he didn't wish to think about.

Kagura crossed her arms, never once letting the grin leave her face. "Possessive, are we?" she asked with a wink. "If you're that interested, just because."

Sesshomaru's ear twitched. Just _because_? What kind of answer was that?

A low growl formed in the bottom of his throat. Here he was, sitting beside a lake of some sort, and here she comes. He knew she was watching him while he was staring at his reflection in the water, but didn't wish to speak to her. He noticed that her scent changed when she was with him, and this confused him to the limit.

Kagura held the arm in his face. "You see this?" she asked, forgetting about what she had been sent for. All she cared about was the tall man standing in front of her. "This is exactly what you need to become what your father was," she explained. "You're acting like taking the arm is a bad thing. All you're losing is a girl that's slowing you down—you know that." When he didn't take the arm, she sighed. "Sesshomaru, take the arm. Rin will be better off with us—with _me_."

She sighed when a gush of wind bashed into her back, Naraku's own way of telling her to get along with it.

Her red eyes stared into Sesshomaru's amber ones. Throwing the arm on the ground, she pointed to it, forgetting her orders. "I'm going to risk my _life_ and leave your arm with you. If you use it, Rin will know that your body is more important."

She knew that the demon wouldn't be able to resist his body part for long.

Sesshomaru watched as she reached into her hair and pulled out a feather. He fell to his knees when she took off in the air, heading west, the direction where the campsite was.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing; his arm.

Kagura had been right; he needed his arm to get the full power from his swords. Even with his strength, he still needed more to consider himself a true killer. It wasn't very fair, he came to see.

While checking to see that no one was looking, he grabbed the arm.

&&&&&

_It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining directly in the center of the sky, the clouds were puffy and white like cotton in a field, and the grass was as green as... green things. Nothing could ruin the perfect-_

"_Just what's your problem, girl?!" Jaken yelled as he rubbed his still sore head. "That boy was staring at you and you know it! Hurting me won't get you anywhere in life! In fact, it'll get you sent to live in that village with that __**boy**__!" He grinned when Rin's eyes turned glassy._

"_I'll never understand you," he said with a pointed finger, which looked rather accusingly. "You humans see a nice face and pass them on. The mysterious part is the fact that the ugliest men in the land have all the pretty ones..." Putting his hand on his chin, he shrugged his shoulders. "That boy was a nice choice for you!"_

_Rin exhaled deeply, doing her best to not form her hand into a fist. It had become a habit whenever she was with the toad. He had become rather irritating, as well as a word she was never to say. Of course the boy was cute, but not handsome. He was still in a pesky boy form... unlike someone else._

_She looked to the sky with a smile on her face. The clouds were no longer gray like they had been that morning from the lack of sunlight. They were now beautiful and the same color as Sesshomaru's hair._

'_His hair,' she said to herself with a smile, 'it's so soft looking.' She never had the nerve to touch it before, but had felt it brush against her when he would walk past her. It was so long that when she would walk behind him that she could only see silverish-white. 'I wonder how he keeps it so long...'_

_It had been three days since she first took her anger out on something, and she was anxious to try it again. She was trying to predict whether it would be ok to ask Sesshomaru more techniques about how to defend herself. The fist and the newly discovered glare were wonderful tools, but she needed to know more. After knocking the lights out of Jaken, he was still alive and talking._

_What she wanted was for him to be quiet, and looking at the green creature, she rolled her eyes and sighed. He was still babbling even though he knew very well that she wasn't listening. She was by far used to it, for he was her babysitter. 'Hearing him talk about the other green things and how he was the most attractive one isn't very pleasant.'_

_The mind of an eleven year-old wasn't worth this._

_Clearing her throat, she looked down at Jaken, hoping to find a rock to crawl under so his voice would disappear. "Master Jaken, if you're done being a jerk, I'd like to enjoy the rest of my day in peace."_

_She had no clue what she had just said, nor did she care. She never knew Ah-Un could talk, and was surprised when she heard held in hisses come from them. It sounded like the laughter of a snake from their unusual shaped tongues._

"_Shut your mouths you wretched demon!" she heard Jaken yell. _

_Her eyes widened when her lord five feet ahead stopped walking. She was unaware of his reaction, for she could only see the back of his head._

_She let her eyes trace Jaken's face that was slowly turning red. She found this rather funny, but didn't have it in her to laugh about it. She simply wasn't in the mood, and all these men would have to get it through their thick skulls. She didn't know what a thick skull was, but a memory came to mind. Her mother called her father and brothers this when they wouldn't come in for supper. Apparently chopping wood to show off manliness was more important._

"_Insolent child!" Jaken said with a glare sent her way. "Have you no respect for your elders?! What did your parents teach you before they died?!"_

_Rin's eyes became half-lidded. _'_My mother... father... and brothers?' She felt ashamed for forgetting them. She had a new family now, and she hoped that her deceased one was looking down on her with smiles on all their faces. A demon was what had killed them, and she was traveling with three of them; what a drastic concoction._

"_...Humph," she said in a hushed tone, as a shadow draped over her. Her head snapped up with wide eyes. Her lord was staring at her as if he was... sorry? Even when his face showed no signs of anything, she knew what he was feeling. What was there to be sorry for? He wasn't the one who killed her parents, it was another demon... at least she hoped. _

_Shaking her head, she smiled warmly at him like she always did. "Yes?" she asked as he grabbed her hand. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted into the air and set on the ground. Her cheeks turned pink when Sesshomaru got down on a knee from Ah-Un's back. Her face turned darker when he formed her right hand into a fist._

_Her eyes traced Jaken's form that was babbling on without a care. He didn't seem at all fazed to see that his lord was now at his level._

_She smiled widely when his claw formed into a tight fist._

"_Ready?"_

_Nodding, both of them connected their fists with Jaken's head, knocking the last of his sense out of him. _

_With that done, Rin felt extremely better, and let a giggle leave her when Jaken yet again rolled on the ground and started saying things that she was never to say. It felt so good. Her blood was rushing through her body quickly, her heart was pacing fast, and she felt like she was walking on air. It was the best feeling. _

_Getting on his feet, the demon ignored the words that came from Jaken. A beating from him was something he knew the toad hated, for a small punch was considered throwing him off a cliff and having him land face first. Turning to Ah-Un, he seemed to smile at the youkai's laughter. "Come Rin."_

_Rin nodded with wide eyes. She blushed when Un's head pushed her in the small of her back, telling her to get going. _

_Petting the demon, she caught up to Sesshomaru. As usual, his hair swayed from side to side and got in her face; she loved it. "Um... my lord?" she asked as Sesshomaru stopped walking, obviously waiting for Jaken to get over himself._

"_Yes?"_

_While hesitating, she grabbed his right leg and hugged it, hoping that he wouldn't push her away or kill her. He had every right, for a girl with nothing but the kimono on her back was hugging her leg. "...Thank you."_

_And then he started walking... with her still attached to him._

Rin's lips formed into a smile as she hugged herself. "Master Jaken's right. I was so naïve back then..." she said with a sigh, as she looked out into the horizon. The sky had started to turn pink, letting her know that sunset was coming. She didn't know how long she had been away from camp, but was glad to be free of those _men_.

A scowl crossed her. "He's not my father," she kept telling herself in her mind and out loud, "...he's not, and he never will be." Then what was he? He wasn't her father, so her friend was next in line. As much as he was to her, she didn't like to only be known as _the friend_. Besides, he had never been a father in her eyes. He was too special to be given such a plain position.

What made her angry on the inside was the fact that Kagura thought of her as Sesshomaru's _daughter_. She was twenty—a woman—so why couldn't anyone besides Kagome and Sango treat her in a womanly matter? "Even Sesshomaru-sama treats me like a girl..."

"You still think about him, huh?"

Her insides froze at the voice. She was positive that it was the voice of her conscience, and her eyes narrowed. The sound hadn't come from her mind, it had come out loud. 'I shouldn't have run away!' Dying was the last thing on her to do list.

Still, she put a smile on her face, and continued kicking her legs while sitting on the edge of the cliff. "Yes, Kagura?" she asked, as she turned her head around; her right hand was safely covering the two conjoined fragments around her neck. She had no clue why Sesshomaru gave them to her after killing a huge demon who had first had them. She didn't know a thing about purification or tainting, but knew that if he were to hold them that they would turn a grayish color.

She stood at the unconscious form in Kagura's arms.

That white hair, that small body, that face, that little fang poking out of her mouth, that innocent look... those _ears_. She recognized the child immediately, as well as the white doll-looking girl standing next to the wind demon. "...Kagome?" She hadn't seen Kagome in about a year.

Without realization, she took a step closer. She regretted her actions when Kagura held out her fan. She shook slightly when the fan was held under Kagome's neck. 'She _wouldn't_! Kagome's just a little girl!' She knew there was already damage by the bump on her forehead.

Kagura's revenge filled eyes looked up and down at Rin. "Wow, you've really grown," she said with disgust. "It's a shame that you haven't been sent to a village yet. I can't imagine why."

Rin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "It's nice to see you too..."

Lifting Kagome that was in her arms more securely, her fan got closer, not once letting it pull back. "I think you know that you've got nowhere to go."

Looking down, Rin's arms wrapped around herself.

"I'll do whatever you want... just don't kill her."

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** Thanks so much for the reviews! It meant a lot when I logged online after a couple of sick days and found so many reviews! I had to get this posted right away to say thank you! Now that I have, surprise me again! Here's where the drama kind of enters... be prepared for Brijustme drama!

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	6. Follow the Light

··10/1/07

**Disclaimer:** Everyone that goes to this website should now that you aren't the owner of Inuyasha, so why explain it? For the extra space? Anyway...Who's _**TRULY**_ the owner of Inuyasha and © in this situation? Takahashi Rumiko, or the lovely _me_? Rumiko, you say? I thought so too...

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Follow the Light_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

There was a long pause after that. The light breeze seemed to cease, the birds seemed to stop chirping, and the air seemed to have gotten heavy. The atmosphere between the women obviously wasn't pleasant.

"Sesshomaru would be proud," Kagura said with a smile. "His wench is willing to give her life away to save another... how honorable." She looked down at the still unconscious Kagome and tightened her grip on her. If the hanyou were to wake all hell would break loose. She had canine blood flowing through her veins, just like her other siblings; a dog could go _crazy_ at any given moment. "Inuyasha would be proud as well. After all, why would he miss one child when he has _two_ more, right?"

Rin nodded, not once letting her body show weakness, nor the fact that she disagreed with the sorceress. Kagura and Kanna scared her to death; just looking at them made her wheezy. She almost needed a tree, or better yet, Sesshomaru, to lean on. "Please don't hurt her... she's just a little girl." Reasoning with a demon that enjoyed killing wasn't the best move, but at least she had said her mind, which made her feel good on the inside.

She would give her life for Kagome because she had seen everything there was to see in all the land from twelve years of traveling. Kagome was only six, a _child_ who hadn't even been to the beautiful remains of Mount Hakurei; what a sight.

Kanna looked down at her mirror. It was glowing on its own, which told her that Naraku was summoning she and Kagura back to their hideout. "Are you ready to leave your old life behind?" she asked rather emotionless. "Are you ready to start a new?"

Rin looked all around, hoping that Sesshomaru would appear and slice these clowns to pieces. But, when her wish wasn't answered, she sighed. "Yes..."

Her chocolate eyes watched as Kagura gave Kagome to Kanna, and came towards her.

She was slung over the demon's shoulder and hassled into the thickness of the forest... where she would never return to. Jaken... Ah-Un... and _Sesshomaru_... her family... gone. Seeing them a last time would have been the best way to end her story, as well as apologizing to her handsome lord.

'As long as Kagome's alright... then so am I.'

&&&&&

"Inuyasha! Let go of me!"

"No way in _hell_ are you going to find her! I'll go!"

"Yes I am! It's not like you can!" Kagome snapped as she grasped her mate's hand that was protectively holding hers, preventing her from leaving to find their youngest daughter. "...You can't-"

"I'm fine." Inuyasha looked deep into Kagome's eyes and tried sitting up with little success. He had a new stalker on the loose, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure they went through a never ending hell. Blowing up the hut he was in that afternoon was one thing, but his daughter disappearing? That was another thing; a thing that generally pissed him off.

And to top that all off? The new moon was coming, which meant that he couldn't even bloody find her.

Kagome sighed and looked out the window of the hut she was occupied in. The sun had disappeared over the mountains. 'Kagome can make it home in the dark... right?' Biting her bottom lip, she yet again tried to free herself from Inuyasha's hold. "Let go of me!" she yelled into his ear. "_None_ of you can go find her!" She sent glares to her other two children who had their wrists caught in Inuyasha's left hand, preventing them from leaving as well. "...You're all turning human." She gulped. "So's Kagome."

Inuyasha knew that Kagome only meant well; he, Inuyaku and Yuri were all turning human that night. His first aspect was to send Miroku and Sango after his youngest, but they had gone to a village to kill a demon. They weren't expected back for three days... and he needed about four to heal himself with the rate things were going with the moon's cycle.

As much as his fatherly mode was in session, he knew that Kagome knew how to defend herself, but didn't say anything about it. If it were Yuri that was another thing, but Kagome would be fine.

"She'll live."

Kagome's head snapped upwards at her eldest with glassy eyes, hoping that she hadn't heard anything leave his mouth, and also silently threatening him to keep quiet. "W-what?"

Inuyaku seemed to sense the tension in his mother's voice, which he guessed was the reason why his father released he and his sister the second she opened her mouth. "Kagome should be alright. If it were someone like _Yuri _here," he ushered with his eyes to his pouting sister, "then it would be the time to cry."

Inuyasha and Kagome both knew what their son was getting at. Yuri was their only child with no abilities whatsoever; she was defenseless when it came to something that wanted to kill her. They found it interesting that Yuri looked completely full youkai, but had the strength of only a modern human being.

In fact, _all_ of their children were strange in their own ways. It had taken many years to get used to having two kids that could outrun them and disappear in the blink of an eye, excluding Yuri.

Inuyaku had been the "love" child. He had Kagome's black hair, Inuyasha's eyes and dog ears, as well as everything else about him—including his stupidness towards the opposite sex and cockiness towards others. The only thing they mainly fought about was the fact that Inuyaku didn't like long hair, which was why he kept it short except for his mane. What made the newly thirteen year-old different from his sisters was one thing, a certain special thing; he could wield Tetsaiga.

"_**IDIOTS**_!" both Kagome and Yuri said at the same time.

Inuyasha and Inuyaku exchanged the same cocky expression before giving them their little but still desirable attention; like father like son. They both knew that Kagome would be _fine_... or so they thought.

"Don't you two care about Kagome?! She's only six years old!"

Kagome Shiin Rose was different. She resembled her father completely: the hair, the eyes, the claws, the smile and of course the ears. She was a miko just as her mother; this was a first in a demon... which had caused many youkai to come and try to kill her to end the conflict between humans and demons.

Yuri would always be special just like Inuyaku and Kagome, for she reminded Inuyasha of his mate. The way she talked, the way she walked, the way she always seemed to find the right answer for everything, the way she always claims to be right... and of course... the way she gets _angry_ easily. The only thing confusing about her was that he wanted to know who she got her looks from; she was the only one of his kids that had tattoos on her face.

Out of all of Inuyasha's children, Inuyaku would have to take the thrown in the 'most confusing' category. He could use his sword, he could outrun him, he liked "present time" clothing (unlike his sisters), and... he was the only one who could go down the well with his mate.

Inuyasha could still always go to Kagome's time, but chose to stay with his girls unless Kagome would drag him there.

"You alright, old man?"

Inuyasha's head snapped to his left, to stare into eyes that resembled his own. "Yeah," he said as his son grabbed his arm, lifting him up into a sitting position so his back was to the hut's wall. Kagome and Yuri had gone, and he was curious as to how they had gotten away from him. At least Inuyaku was _loyal_; his mate and middle child thought that almost everything he did was _stupid_.

"Yaku?"

The boy's head looked up from his father's waist. He had planned on stealing Tetsaiga so he could call a certain someone. He had discovered a way to use it; his own way. He could make the mighty sword give off a blue light that only his uncle knew of. If the demon was in the area then he would surly see it. "Yeah, what is it?"

"...Why the hell are you still here?" The sun was setting quickly, and already his demonic senses were disappearing; he was starting to feel the full pain of being blown up, and it hurt to breathe. Now he knew what Kagome meant during all three child births when she would scream _"You don't know what pain is!"._

Inuyaku greedily snatched the sword from his father and held it in his hands. He knew a missing Kagome was nothing to worry about, but his mother and Yuri weren't going to shut up if he and his father let this pass. His little sister getting killed was the last thing on their minds.

"I'll be back."

&&&&&

Sesshomaru's hesitating eyes glanced at the arm in his right hand. He was curious about the outcome on everything. The first time he had gotten his arm back it had been lifeless; this time it was beating, which told him that he didn't need a sacred jewel shard. What also came out of the dark... was that Kagura had actually received his arm from the dead.

'Why?' he thought as he squeezed the flesh.

His mind kept telling him to use the arm, attach it to his body, become more powerful, but Tensaiga said otherwise. His sword was telling him to throw the body part off a cliff and return to Rin as if nothing had happened; he didn't like to think of Tensaiga as a conscience, but the blade was proving its usefulness.

"_Sesshomaru, take the arm. Rin will be better off with us—with __**me**__."_

What did she mean by that? He was onto the thought that it was because he was male, but came to see that Rin knew everything about being a woman from the thoughtful Kagome and Sango. She had no reason to leave him... or did she?

Sesshomaru shook his head. "She knows better than to run away," he tried convincing himself with no success. She could be half way across the country by now; he would find her. "She knows I will."

He soon found himself clutching his arm for dear life, somewhat scared at the fact that little Rin had been away from him twelve years ago.

Everything was fine now, but he was probably known as Rin's father by most. He had dealt with her smiles, frowns, teary eyes, crying and all those other emotions that she went through constantly. He had become a master of making her smile, and he liked this. A smile from Rin was like a blessing from the Gods; her smiles gave him peace.

_Sesshomaru stared down at the girl who was looking up at him with a smile. She was frightening when she was like this, but he knew deep down that she was only being Rin; the Rin he knew always smiled whether she was happy or sad._

"_...Lord Sesshomaru?" she called in a whisper._

_He looked to the sky. About three hours of his precious day had been wasted in telling Rin that her tooth would grow back. He soon came to find that he couldn't refuse this child. "Yes?" he casually asked as he got down on a knee, ready to listen to whatever it was she had to say. He ignored Jaken's snickering and babbling from Ah-Un's back. "You think it grew back yet?" He chose not to say 'again'._

_She shook her head and grabbed his empty sleeve that was blowing in the light wind. "Um... no... well... not exactly..." She seemed to be nervous about something, and before she knew it, she was blushing at her lord._

_Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. The only time he had seen her shy was when they had first met; she had a wild personality and lots of energy that she would burn with just picking flowers. "Is there something you want?" he asked as her grip on his sleeve tightened. Female things were so confusing... or so he heard._

_Rin shook her head and looked her lord strait in the eye. What she had to say was rather embarrassing, which made her sad at that fact that she wasn't traveling with a woman. "No... it's not that..." Forcing her hand to release from the silky cloth, she pointed a small finger towards her stomach._

_Sesshomaru stared at her, hoping that she would get to the point. His keen sense of hearing picked up a gurgling sound. "Are you hun-"_

"_No," the girl said while taking in a large amount of air. She let it out slowly and wrapped her arms around herself. "My..." The blush returned when her lord's eyes seemed to soften for a few seconds. She wanted to beat Jaken to death when he asked what the matter was with his lord, and his eyes returned to normal: cold. "...stomach hurts."_

_This was the second time that Rin had shocked him._

_His eyes seemed to widen, and he inhaled her scent. Just as she had confusingly informed, she was bleeding, which made it terrible for her to walk. He didn't understand why she hadn't just said it, but came to find that he wasn't a woman. The only good thing about this was that she wasn't the "emotional" type while she was going through her cycle; thank God._

_The twelve year-old gave her attention to her feet. "Can you... lift me onto Ah-Un?" She had a terrible stomach ache and wanted nothing more than to get off her feet._

_She smiled when her lord set her down on the two-headed demon's back. She smiled even more at the fact that he was slightly blushing._

He didn't know why he was thinking about this particular moment with Rin, but it meant something deep within his heart. She had always been more than a companion in his eyes... and she always would be.

Speaking of Rin, she should be cooled off by now.

Sesshomaru lifted his head to the sky. It was seconds away from turning dark blue. He had been circling the area of where the campsite was for over an hour, doing his best to gather his thoughts together. Rin was upset with him, and it didn't look like she was going to forgive him easily; she was such a vixen.

Exhaling deeply, he inhaled the air.

His eyes widened when he couldn't find a trace of her. He could smell Jaken and Ah-Un, but Rin... it was like her scent disappeared; _vanished_. 'Where is she?' She couldn't have gotten that far, for she was only human. He would find her.

Though she would have to wait.

A blue light was going off. It was faint and barely noticeable, but he could point it out like it was standing in front of him and smiling in his face. He predicted it to be about a mile down the mountain, then another eight to get to the location, just to show how good his eyesight was.

"I know that light."

&&&&&

"Dammit!"

Inuyaku's eyes widened as he felt his teeth grow smaller, his sharp claws turn to human fingernails, and his eyesight get duller. He had gotten out five slashes from the mighty sword, and hoped that his uncle had seen them. He could smell him in the area, which assured him that he would come.

"But then again," he said as he rubbed his chin, "the old man still says that he hates Uncle Sesshomaru..." Groaning, he exhaled deeply before running a hand through his now silver hair. He found it unusual that when he turned human that his hair turned silver, but that was ok with him. "Having black hair all the time gets boring, anyway."

Returning Tetsaiga to its sheath, he held the cold thing in his right hand, hoping with all his might that Kagome had seen it; if she were to come home his mother and sister would leave him alone.

"_Inuyaku! Inuyaku!"_

Inuyaku mumbled something about shoving something down Yuri's throat, and turned around. There standing two heads below him was his little sister. "What is it?" he asked while eyeing her now black hair that was always in a high ponytail. She had their father's eyes and skin color. "Did she come back?"

Yuri shook her head, and gasped when a shadow covered her brother's. Letting a squeal escape her, she smiled widely and attacked her uncle's leg. "So you really did come!" she said with a grin as she hugged the leg for dear life. She wanted to ask why he wasn't wearing his armor or fluffy thing, but found that other things were on her mind.

Inuyaku's sweat dropped. "Hey!" he said with a smile.

Sesshomaru lifted his niece into his right arm and held her close to him, not effected at all when she grabbed a chunk of his hair. Even with someone of his coldness, he showed his soft side to his nieces and nephew. "Yaku, what's the matter?" he asked, referring to why the thirteen year-old had used Tetsaiga. He knew that Inuyasha was as possessive of it as he had been all those years ago.

Inuyaku nodded. "You haven't seen Kagome, have you?" he asked while looking behind his uncle. He sighed when he saw that Kagome hadn't attached herself so some part of Sesshomaru's body. "Guess not."

Sesshomaru temporarily ignored the two children, and gave his attention to the sky. There wasn't a moon in sight. 'Dammit, not now.'

His concern for Rin was getting the better of him; he couldn't smell or detect her scent anywhere. Once again, she knew better than to run away from him. The part about all this that bothered him was the fact that she had actually run and that her scent had completely disappeared, as if she was never in the mountains.

Looking down at his nephew, his eyes seemed to soften as he let out a rather pathetic sigh. "Have you seen Rin anywhere?"

Inuyaku laughed. "You sound just like the old man and Mom when they fight."

Sesshomaru winced, which was noticed by Yuri. He had in fact been fighting with Rin, and if he had known the outcome, he would not have opened his mouth to her in the first place. She was just like Inuyasha; naïve. What the hell was the matter with _**BLOOD**_?!

There was so much he had to learn about that odd woman...

Setting Yuri down when she reached with her hands towards the ground, the air was knocked out of him when he felt something crash into his chest. 'What the hell?' Looking down, he was greeted with a head full of black hair, but not _his_ head full of black hair. Still, he raised an eyebrow when the woman clutched his haori.

"Is there something wrong with you too?" This family was so dysfunctional. One minute a kid was missing, and the next the mother was having an emotional breakdown; this was quite comical in his perspective.

Sighing, he looked into brown eyes when he was dragged by the hair to do so. He couldn't say much, for he was just as dysfunctional... in his own way.

Kagome stared at the demon through glassy eyes. "Fix your stupid brother!" she yelled with a pointed finger. She was shaking terribly; now she knew how her mother felt when she was six at the local Tokyo mall. The place had closed down until she was found in a candy store's storage room... gorging herself with delicious delicacies.

Her eyes seemed to shine at Sesshomaru. She could depend on him in this situation. "Sesshomaru... you may not like me very much..." Ushering her eyes to the left when he raised an eyebrow, she released herself from him and stood a good foot away.

Sesshomaru inhaled the air. He had to take his eyes off Kagome; she reminded him of Rin in so many ways. Not that he would take advantage of this woman, it was just that he was lonely without the twenty year-old tagging along with him all the time. At first he thought of it as nothing but annoying, but he had come to like her company. "I'll find her."

It just wasn't right. Coming to this village and not having a little girl that looked exactly like Inuyasha attack her _wasn't_ normal... whatever that meant in this dysfunctional family. For some reason the half demon looked up to him. 'Isn't that what a _father's_ for?'

The next thing he knew, he was taking two steps back from the pressure of having a grown woman and her daughter hugging him to death. Patting Yuri on the head and giving her a comforting small smile, he noticed for the first time that his brother was nowhere present. "Where's-"

"Sealed in a hut," Kagome responded innocently with the most evil eyes. "He's staying in there until I say he can come out. He was in the worst condition from the bomb..." She chose not to say that with Inuyasha being human that the pressure was ten times worse.

…_Bomb_?

Sesshomaru inhaled the air again. Now that he came to realize, there _was_ a trace of gunpowder still in the air...

Regaining his ability to breathe when the women released him, he eyed his niece and nephew. They were indeed odd children... but that was just him.

Jaken and Ah-Un didn't concern him in this situation. Ah-Un pretty much knew everything he did, since the two had been together since his father had given him the demon as a gift when he was an infant. Even if the demon was silent all the time, it knew when he would try something, and that he trusted it more than Jaken with Rin's safety.

Not that he would ever confess, but he was terribly confused. He didn't understand anything. Now Kagome had been dragged into this. He still had the arm, which told him that Kagura hadn't come after him yet to take it back.

'Why?'

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** Thanks to those of you who found out about my first oneshot! Things are getting complicated, but never fear, Bri's here (where else did you think you were?)! Alas, it's time for me to go, but don't forget to press the purple button in the corner. You see it? Great!

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	7. Let’s Talk About Sesshomaru

··9/21/07

**Disclaimer: **No ownership here… but I think I should get some credit for making Sesshomaru nice in this fanfiction! Who doesn't? You take a mean person, make them talk and smile, and there you go. My hard work has been ruined now that Rin has left the story! Other words? …I don't own Inuyasha, but I'm battling with Sesshomaru.

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Let's Talk About Sesshomaru_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Sesshomaru looked to the sky, a look of pure nothing written on his face. He was tired, upset and concerned. He had been searching Inuyasha forest all night for his niece, and so far, she was nowhere to be found. It was almost dawn now, so he figured she would come out of the forest sooner of later. But, the thing he tried to rid his mind of was the fact that she was only six years old...

He didn't expect his loyal companion to crash next to him, waiting patiently for him to notice its existence. "No one's dead, right?" he asked while giving the demon a good look; it wasn't covered in blood, so no damage was caused. Ah-Un knew that they were never supposed to leave Rin by herself unless it was a thousand percent necessary, and looking at the stern look he was getting in return, he knew it was.

Ah stared at his master, while letting Un graze on the grass at their feet. The demon's sharp eyes could detect that Sesshomaru was tired, and it outstretched his head towards the dog youkai's stomach, sending him crashing against a nearby tree and forcing him to stay there. He knew that Sesshomaru would never hurt he and his conjoined twin. There had been all too much history for the youkai to kill them.

Sesshomaru felt pleasure for being able to sit down, but there was something greater than sleep that he had to keep searching for. Was the world playing tricks on him? Kagome's scent had completely disappeared, and he couldn't find Rin's either. His grip on his left arm seemed to tighten at this.

Was he actually _losing it_?

Shaking his head, he figured it was just a bug. He had never lost control of himself before, and right then, sitting under a shaded tree with Ah-Un now perched next to him, he felt like his mind had just been exploded. 'Where the hell is she?' Did she know that she was making his head spin? Or was she enjoying seeing him almost panic?

Ah-Un watched their master, waiting for him to regain consciousness from wherever his fairy tale was taking him. Both of them nudged him in the arm, hoping that he would get it through his skull that he was having a _moment_.

If the demon could talk, it would ask what on earth had happened to Sesshomaru. He had completely dropped his armor, making his wounds visible for all to see, as well as tell that he wasn't in his usual state from the poison, and yet he chose to risk it all in finding Kagome. He really wasn't as cold as he used to be; in fact, he had changed. He was nice to humans, and not just Rin, if you got their drift.

Dropping the arm, Sesshomaru held his head in his hand. His mind was spinning with flashes of Rin. Did he _lose_ her? "Damn her." He lifted his head when the demon huffed at him. "What?" he asked as Ah-Un rolled into a ball, still perched next to him. Even if this creature was completely useless and couldn't speak a word, it was his lifelong friend.

Ah-Un made a noise that sounded like a grunt, and stared out into the horizon, while trying not to laugh at their pathetic master; he was nothing without Rin at his side. He was straining himself, which concerned the demon to death. After all, until the great dog youkai Inutaisho had died, the two heads were in charge of what Sesshomaru did. Now, it was called _payback_ for when Sesshomaru would get lost in a forest somewhere while growing up.

Sesshomaru let his eyes roll, before too giving his attention to the rising sun. "Why do you care if I miss her or not?" he questioned, understanding the demon's irritated grunt completely. There was a lot Sesshomaru knew about Ah-Un that most considered uninteresting.

Ah-Un shook their heads, before smirking. Making the same noise, they rested their heads down, watching as the sun slowly moved towards the center of the sky. What their master was unaware of was that Jaken was on the move and heading towards their direction, which meant this conversation would be put on hold.

"Fine then." Sesshomaru looked down at his left arm that was rested on the grass. "If it matters that much to you, just go ask her yourself," he said while closing his eyes; he was already leaning against the tree. This demon was rather frustrating when given the chance... which was all the time. It was like a woman was staring at her husband and not saying anything. Ah-Un had the privilege, for no one could understand what it was saying.

Un's head lifted and nudged Sesshomaru's left shoulder. When it got the youkai's attention, it pointed to the left, past Ah, and towards a hill that was coming downwards. There was Jaken, running down the green bump towards them. While making a noise of annoyance, it returned its head to the grass, grazing on the delicacy.

Sesshomaru sighed, and prepared himself to be bombarded with questions as to where he had been, what he was doing, and why he had left the toad. Again, he couldn't say much to Kagome about her dysfunctional family, for his own was just as bad in its own way. There was a demon that couldn't talk, another one that annoyed the shit out of him, and a woman that had a temper problem.

He knew it was far too early for her to be experiencing menopause, but he was considering it an option. After all, women were strait out scary and determined when they wanted their fair share in an argument.

Never would he admit this, but he had come to miss the presence of the woman who went by Rin. She always smiled, always smelt nice, and had always been happy... until he came into the picture. He soon found himself becoming sick with dread. Had he changed her? She still looked as happy as can be, but looks were deceiving. He knew Rin like no other; she was a cheerful woman, a bright one too, and yet she was mad at him.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

Lifting his head, his eyes seemed to be filled with shock, but only for about a second after he heard Ah-Un's hissed laughter, informing him that he had just made an idiot of himself. Shaking his head, he tried to listen to the bickering Jaken was saying. The toad had been standing in front of him since Rin had entered his mind.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where have you been? What are you doing?! Why did you leave me?!" Jaken yelled while waving his hands at his sides like a chicken. He soon found himself grinning. 'At least the better one showed up...' Giving his attention to Ah-Un, he glared at the demon. "And just where have you been?! I had to chase after you through the air! Do you have any idea how short my legs are?! Did you _not_ hear me yelling?!"

Ah-Un started laughing again, and stood from its current position. Eying their lord, they watched as he stood, grabbing his arm from the grass in the process. Making another noise, they seemed to smile when Sesshomaru sighed at them. Their conversation would not be forgotten.

Sesshomaru looked down at the smiling Jaken. "Where's Rin?" he tried to ask with little concern, but to his dismay, those two words came out wrong in Ah-Un's laughing perspective. Either way, he just wanted to know where the damn woman was so his heartbeat would slow down, which was obvious to Ah-Un who was still taking a grand at laughing; she was given enough time to get over her fit.

Jaken raised an invisible eyebrow. "I thought she was with you?"

&&&&&

A mirror was the only thing besides a slumped man that was present in a random hut. It sat in the middle of an abandoned village at the top of a mountain in the northern lands, opposite of the southern lands where the fire was. Here it was all about wetness, such as water and snow, a place where dogs wouldn't come. Just like in modern times, a dog hated taking a bath.

Naraku adjusted his baboon attire around his shoulders as a chill came over him. It was always terribly cold in the northern lands; perfect.

Smirking, he directed his red eyes to the mirror in the corner of the hut. It was the same size as Kanna's, but it gave him a different location than everything she saw. This mirror gave him the location of a certain demon that was having a crisis. A crisis was something he had daily, but for Sesshomaru, this was new.

"_I thought she was with you?"_

Naraku laughed under his breath when Sesshomaru's eyes seemed to widen. He laughed ever more when the mighty demon's face turned white and he leaned against the tree he had originally been sitting in. "Lost your follower?" he said with a snap of the fingers. "What shall you do now, Sesshomaru?" he dared to ask.

_Sesshomaru looked over at his companions. So this was what Ah-Un had come to find him for. While trying not to let a growl escape him, his vision turned red for a few seconds. Calming herself down, he shook slightly. "How long has she been gone for?"_

"About a day," Naraku casually answered. "About to be two if you don't come forth." The plan was to sacrifice the twenty year-old for complete control of Sesshomaru. It was a foolish idea, but he came to see that after all these years... Rin loved him. Sesshomaru was starting to catch the drift himself, but pushed her away from him. He knew it was against demon laws to have a human as a mate. Inuyasha had violated this, which made demons attack his family.

"I would never do that," Naraku said while raising a side of his face into a somewhat cocky grin. "Such a beautiful woman... I have plans for you." Kagura could do whatever she wanted with the demon lord. He didn't concern him as long as he was alive. If he were to get killed, it would probably be the end. Onigumo's heart was starting to fail his body. It was too weak to surpass the all powerful conquest he wanted.

Onigumo still urged for Kikyo.

And after all these years, he had let his heart down. As payback, his expiration date was coming. But, if he had the rest of the shards, this wouldn't happen. Koga was another problem in this charade of kidnapping the important people in his enemy's lives.

He looked to his left at the shadow leaning against a wall of the hut. He had actually done his own work and gotten one of Koga's pups. This one looked to be about the same age as Kagome, but a little taller. The twitching ears told him that the demon was alert while unconscious. To makes things go right, he couldn't kill any of these weaklings.

"_You can't possibly go find that human!" Jaken sneered. "You just passed out from lack of sleep!" He panicked when Sesshomaru started walking slowly, Ah-Un following suit. "...Why find her?!"_

Naraku's eyes widened at the image in the mirror, causing the wolf youkai to flinch in his slumber. Well, he thought he was a he. "So, you're still weak?" He never thought that Sesshomaru would risk his life on a demon for someone like Rin; he was taking an extremely long time to heal. Why did he look so determined? So angry? For a split second, he saw Sesshomaru's eyes turn red.

"Just what kind of relationship do you two have?"

&&&&&

"Can you put me down now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"_No_."

"How about... _now_?"

Kagura slapped the woman she was carrying on the back, and snickered when she heard Rin hiss in pain. "Be quiet! We'll get there soon enough." She was dead serious when she said that this woman was a hassle to care for. How Sesshomaru had done it for twelve years was beyond her knowledge. Question after question... it was too much.

"Where's _there_?" Rin asked, as she got another slap in the back. She had seen nothing but trees for almost ten hours. The last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with Kagura, but looking at Kanna, it didn't look like she was capable of speaking.

'Sesshomaru-sama...' She missed him. She missed his face, his hair, his body, his smile, his everything. She was extremely lonely, even if she was in the presence of three other females. In a sad way, it wasn't enough. One was unconscious, while the other two were retrieving her upon orders. 'I miss you so much.'

Her heart was calling for him.

_Rin's eyes snapped open with a gasp. She looked around her campsite. It was dark, which told her that it was the time of sleeping. The moon was showing brightly in the sky, and the thirteen year-old was anything but tired. _

_She looked over her shoulder when she felt something soft touch the top of her head. She knew what it was, and when she saw it, Sesshomaru's glowing hair looked like rays the moon would give off. It was so shiny and long that the more the gentle breeze blew, the more of it got in her face._

_Tangling her hands in his hair and holding it back so she could see his face, she blushed when she found closed eyelids. "You're sleeping," she said in a whisper, as she noticed his bowed head and sloppy composure. It must be his time; he only slept every two weeks. _

_She spoke to test him; his ears didn't move. "You're really tired," she said with a smile. Snuggling into his white fluffy thing on his shoulder, she adjusted herself in his lap. She wasn't sure why he let her sleep with him. She had been knocked out since noon that day when she fell off a cliff while going up it. She landed at the bottom with her body leaning on her ankle, her reason for exclaiming a scream that would make the knights run from the dragon._

_She remembered being lifted into Sesshomaru's strong arm, but the rest was blank. She guessed that Jaken was upset with her for taking time out of his day by the way he was sleeping. You could see those three dreaded lines on his forehead, and his green bottom lip was sticking out in a scowl._

"_I'm sorry." _

_Rin flinched when she felt Sesshomaru shift behind her. Her face turned red when his chin rested on top of her head. 'He's __**LEANING**__ on me!' she thought in shock. Since she was still facing him, she was staring at his neck, his neck with fabulous slightly tanned skin._

_His face showed no emotions while he was resting, and Rin wondered why. Did he not dream? _

_She wrapped her arms around her lord and lifted him upwards when he seemed to be sinking down on the tree he was leaning on. As she did so, her support on his head ceased, making his forehead come in contact with her own. His skin was warm feeling, so comforting._

_The pain in her ankle disappeared instantly when she looked at his face. Up close, he looked so peaceful, so lost, and so... beautiful. She had never been this close to him before. She was thirteen, and the bubbling emotions were coming like crazy. This would happen when they would pass a village with a nice looking boy, but with Sesshomaru, it was completely different; he was a man._

_Little did she know that her arms were still wrapped around him, and the next thing she knew, she was pressing her ear against his chest, hoping to listen to his steady heartbeat. He really was beautiful. His muscular everything, stern looks, and way of scaring people were some of the qualities that made her blood sink to her feet. His tattoos on his face and arm were all she needed, and with his stunning amber eyes, she was in heaven._

_She had a crush on him._

Sighing, she tried to picture Sesshomaru worrying about her. There was once when she had been kidnapped by the odd monk who wanted her to live in a village, but other than that, he seemed calm when it came to her. 'He probably doesn't even know I'm missing yet,' she said to herself, as she bit her bottom lip. 'He sure can keep a grudge for a long time...'

Kagura could tell in Rin's scent that she was depressed. "It's best to forget about him," Kagura said while looking at the sky. It was blue now, signaling her that it was now morning. "He won't come after you." She motioned to Kagome who was in Kanna's arms. "Kagome maybe, but not you."

Rin nodded. It was true. 'Maybe it's best to forget about him,' she thought with another sigh, as she looked at the ground. She felt like a rock that was being stepped on by all the animals and people that would cross its path everyday. She felt like nothing without Sesshomaru by her side. "I suppose," she responded, hoping that she wasn't being rude by answering the question so late.

Intimidation soon came over her, and she found a grin plastered on her face. "Sooo, you're kidnapping me to get Sesshomaru all to yourself?" she asked with a wiggle of the eyebrow, hoping to start a successful conversation. "What do you like most about him?" She ignored the slaps she got in the back. "I think the women fall for his eyes..."

Kagura blushed. "S-shut your face!" she commanded. Her grip on the wench over her shoulder tightened in anger. "I was sent to capture you for the shards, and let's keep it at that!" she said with a glare towards the vegetation ahead of her. Her face turned redder at the thought of seeing Sesshomaru again. 'His eyes _are_ beautiful...'

Rin blushed as well, but very lightly. "And then there's his hair that women like as well..." She had only touched it when he would walk over her, and once when she had fiddled with it when he slept. It was so soft all the time... always.

Kagura nodded. "Yes," she said while setting her right hand on her cheek; it was on fire.

Kanna shook her head in disgust. Since she had been given the mind of a child since she was created, she didn't know these "emotions" that Kagura and Rin were experiencing. She was just like all the other children her age. She was tempted to say yuck, but knew that she would catch her little sister by surprise.

Looking down at Kagome who was in her arms, she came to see that she looked exactly like Inuyasha. He would not come looking for his daughter for about four more days. She could detect Sesshomaru's aura coming towards the direction they were heading, but it was slowly, as if he was trying to see if they were testing him.

Slightly forming the corner of her right lip upwards for the first time in her life, she held the girl closer to her. The hanyou's features had returned, and all that was left was for her hair to turn lighter. Yes, she had witnessed Kagome turn human. Thanks to Kagura finding out that Inuyasha turned human on the new moon all those years ago, it was easy to target him while he was going to be in the most amount of pain, hence the reason why she guessed that Naraku bombed his village on that specific day.

"Kagura," she said in her usual emotionless tone, "watch what you say to her." Naraku was always watching them, whether he was there or not; he had his ways to see if she and her sister were doing as they were told.

Kagura stuck her tongue out. "What does he care what I do with this human?" she sneered, as she lifted Rin on her shoulder more. They had been walking for about twelve hours. Demons such as she and Kanna had no reason to stop, neither did the unconscious Kagome. With Rin and her constant babbling, the demon was tempted to toss the woman over a cliff. Naraku's reason to have her _alive_ was confusing.

Rin watched as the trees they had previously passed grew smaller and smaller as she was carried through the green and brown vegetation. She had seen nothing but leaves and bark since she had opened her eyes that morning. The rising sun was nowhere in sight, thanks to the blanket of green leaves that was covering her eyesight when she would look upwards.

Sighing, she narrowed her eyes. "May I ask why you haven't tried talking to him earlier?" she asked politely. Manners or not, Kagura wasn't going to answer that easily. She knew this for a fact, and after two minutes of silence, she gave up. "You could have just talked to hi-"

"It's impossible to get to him, for _you're_ his top priority constantly."

So now she chooses to speak? "What do you mean?" Rin asked with wide eyes. "I don't understand what you're talking about." If she got kidnapped or lost, Sesshomaru would always come find her. It came so natural to her that she didn't have a clue what Kagura was speaking of.

Kagura stopped, and clutched her hand that was hanging freely at her side. While letting out a long breath, she continued on her way, Kanna following. "It's simple," she said while showing off her demon charm of unkindness, "you're obviously more important to him than others." She shook her head at how naïve this woman was. "Just look how he treats that imp, Jaken."

Rin giggled quietly to herself. She had always thought that Jaken getting beaten on a daily basis was normal as well. Her family was quiet different, now that she thought of it more logically. "What about you?" she asked with a friendly smile sent towards Kanna's direction. "...See any small people you fancy like Kagura?"

Kagura scuffled. "She doesn't have to answer that!" She set Rin down on the ground, and grabbed her shoulders fiercely, turning her so they were face to face. "Who in the hell said I fancy Sesshomaru?!" This did nothing, for the two were the same height.

Rin looked into the woman's red eyes, the smile never leaving her face. She managed to raise an eyebrow and pop her head like a modern time bobble head. "Who said you _didn't_?"

Turning, Kagura trudged through the vegetation, her destination to find a way out of this forest they had wandered into in the middle of the night was getting the better of her. "Kanna! Don't answer to her!" Deep down, she envied this woman with the smiles. She had been with Sesshomaru since she was very young, and now being grown, she knew almost everything about him.

When she felt a tug on her kimono sleeve, she looked across from her. She rolled her eyes when she was met with two brown circles that looked like they were smiling at her. "What the hell do you want?" she spoke while giving them enough distance. A foot was good.

Rin continued on her way, where she was going was oblivious to her. "So, what do you like best about him?" she asked like a real friend would. "You like him, so what attracts you?"

Kagura raised an eyebrow. "Curiosity must have been something you were born with more than manners," she said under her breath. "None of your business." Little did she know that her cold eyes were softening, as well as her facial features. Crossing her arms over her chest, she quickened her pace, and sighed when Rin quickened hers as well. "...His hair."

While still keeping the smile, Rin nodded. "I see," she said softly. 'I thought she would say his eyes.' She clapped her own shut when something irritating hit her face, but it was only the sun's rays shining through the trees above them, which told her that they were reaching the end of the forest. She could already tell by the smell, the look, and the feel that they weren't in the western lands anymore. The temperature was a giveaway. 'Sesshomaru's mesmerizing eyes are only one of his good qualities,' she thought with a slightly blush. 'He's perfect...'

She snook herself a glance at the happy Kagura. She looked like she was daydreaming Sesshomaru's face right then. She knew that she and her lord were nothing but traveling companions. There were women that were piling up to be his wife. There was the flute woman, and now there was Kagura.

She never knew that there was a line she had to be in to get her lord's attention. He had always been there when she had a question, when she fell, when she wanted him to watch her sleep... everything.

She was soon calling herself selfish in her mind. It wasn't in her place to hog Sesshomaru to herself. He went places all the time, but never left for more than a day since she hit puberty, she came to see. If she were to die he could easily leave her at be or revive her, so she wasn't sure what the big deal was. As he had said, she _slowed him down_. So why take her? Why clothe and protect her?

Shaking her head, Rin's angelic eyes looked down. Yes, she had been correct. Sesshomaru was perfect, but not for the lights of her, the follower with no family, no close friends in the area and no life of her own. She had spent twelve precious years isolated with her three man family. As she was saying, she just wasn't right for him. So, she would forget about the lord of the western lands. They would never be, but looking at Kagura, she looked lovely.

'...She loves him.'

&&&&&

**Bri Note:** I'm so sorry! You see... there was this thing, then there was this other thing, and ooh, there was this _other_ thing that kept me from doing the other thing that made me miss out on this thing, and then there was this HUGE thing that kept me away from _this_ thing! Swear!

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	8. ‘No one else…’

··10/20/07

**Disclaimer:** I watch the show, I draw the show, I paint the show, I fanaticize the show while eating dinner, I even brush my teeth and hum 'Change the World'. What does this tell me? Depression? Harmony? Matrimony? Say what you want… I just don't own Inuyasha! In fact, I don't even want to own him. It's all about Sesshomaru, kiddos!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive…

'_No one else…'_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Yet again Sesshomaru found himself staring at the sky, hoping with all his power that Rin would appear before him. He was irritated yes, but not irritated enough to speak to her if he would ever find the woman. She had indeed caused him to 'lose it', and he was now sure that he was going to explode if he didn't get a glance at Rin in the next few minutes.

A laughing Ah-Un wasn't helping…

Turning, the demon narrowed his eyes at the snickering beast. It knew that he was concerned about Rin's whereabouts… but who wasn't? Sesshomaru could tell that even _Jaken_ was missing Rin's happy presence by the look on his face, or so he thought. He had thought of nothing but Rin for the last few hours. This was normal for when she would disappear while growing up, but the feeling was more intense than it normally was.

Jaken crossed his arms over his little chest with an impatient look on his face. "My lord! Why are you spending so much time looking for someone as unworthy as Rin?!" he unknowingly shouted. Sesshomaru had been so confusing this past noontime. It was almost sunset, and the youkai had yet to stop walking, to give up. "I thought you would have gone searching for Naraku by now!" he whined a foot behind his master. "…Let's just go!"

He knew by heart that they weren't following Naraku's trail, they were chasing after Rin. 'But why in the northern lands?' he thought while raising an invisible eyebrow. 'Lord Sesshomaru knows that he can get killed by entering the lands of Lord Jai…'

Gathering his little courage, he opened his mouth and coughed slightly. "My lord… do you have the slightest idea as to where you are?" he asked as they continued to pass the miles of vegetation. He had seen nothing but tall trees since noon. It had gotten colder as well, and with he and Ah-Un being cold blooded, it was getting harder for them to carry onwards into the changing weather. One minute it was fine, and the next it was freezing. 'If only I had a thick mane like Lord Sesshomaru!'

Sesshomaru, sensing the fact that Ah-Un shivered and sent the vibrations through the ground, turned around, causing a thinking Jaken to crash into his legs. He had yet to answer any of the creature's questions so far. Coming up with answers wasn't on his mind at the moment. "You two go back. You can't go any further." Of course he knew of their 'condition'.

Ah-Un was quick to nod, while Jaken was anything but happy.

"_**WHAT**_?!" the imp shouted, causing some birds to flee from the trees near the group. "Just what's gotten into you, my lord?! Why on earth would you send Ah-Un and I back to the western lands?!" He stomped his foot on the ground, hoping he had gotten through to the demon. "We go where you go!"

In the blink of an eye, he was grabbed by the cloth on his back and into Ah's mouth. "Put me down you insolent monster! I must go with my lord!"

The two headed demon nodded at Sesshomaru. Un bent down to pick up Jaken's staff that he had dropped during his speech, while Ah stared his master strait in the face, its own way of telling the youkai to be careful and bring Rin back alive.

While letting a sigh escape him, Sesshomaru nodded. He made sure to see the last of their bodies disappear before continuing on his way. He knew that he was in great danger by entering the northern lands, but he had no choice; for some reason Rin's scent was this direction.

'Why?' he thought with a raised eyebrow. He knew that she was angry with him, but angry enough to actually run away? 'This isn't like you…' Looking down, he ignored the shaking Tensaiga. 'You miss her?' Was that even possible? Minute by minute the blade was rejecting him, which he guessed was a positive answer. He could hardly get a vibe or word from it. It was needless to say that this contraption was his conscience, and he had gotten used to its company.

As he made his was through the trees, he found himself standing in a valley with nothing but flowers. They were probably grown in spots, he guessed, which was why the colors were all separated. There was a row of red that went for as far as his sharp eyes could see, as well as orange, white, blue, and even the ever so rare, black.

His eyes softened slightly when he caught sight of Rin's favorite color. He had never liked this color, but having it permanently on his face made him get used to having it around. 'Pink.' The woman had always been in love with pink since he could remember.

Shaking his head, he tried to detect the scent that Rin naturally gave off, maple and lavender. It was hard to get a trace of it, for these scents were usually in a forest, one of the reasons why he couldn't find Rin when that monk had kidnapped her. He had always kept that dirty little secret to himself.

Sesshomaru's eyes looked onwards. The hill in the valley went downwards, the direction he was hoping to find Rin in. He had entered the forest while going up the mountain that separated the western lands from the northern lands, so going down was his next option unless Rin was hiding the fact that she could fly like an eagle.

Clutching the arm in his right hand he had yet to get rid of, he started downhill. "You had better be alive," he managed to say under his breath. Little did he know, but he was looking at the pink flowers as he said this, and he soon found himself dropping his arm and picking one up, caressing a petal with his index finger and thumb.

It was only normal for him to be cautious everywhere he went, but this was just unusual. He had almost fallen over when a butterfly landed on his shoulder. He wasn't even supposed to be in the northern lands, yet here he was. He knew that Ah-Un and Tensaiga would never forgive him if he didn't find the twenty year-old. He had a deadline, and time was running out.

"_Help!"_

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. It was a voice, a faint one, as well as a stingy one. It wasn't Rin's by a long shot, he knew this for sure. Snapping his head to the left of the hill, he found a waterfall with a figure at the bottom of it. It looked to be like the person was stuck in the middle of the lake.

Tensaiga started shaking.

&&&&&

Kagura set Rin down on the ground for the second time that day. She had carried the woman once she found that the more she talked, the slower she walked. It was almost sunset, and she figured that they were in the clear. They should be in Naraku's presence somewhere around the next day.

"Stay," she instructed. "I'm not like Sesshomaru at all, so get used to it." Kagura crossed her arms over her chest. "You run away, you're punished." It was the best she could think of. "Sure, I'll go after you like him, but I won't be so forward."

Rin stretched her arms high above her head, the sleeves to her red kimono falling down to her shoulders. "Hai," she said while looking to the side. Her back hurt like crazy thanks to Kagura's antics with trying to keep her quiet. The slaps she could handle, but carrying her? 'She's no Sesshomaru-sama, that's for sure.'

Looking down when she felt something grip her leg, she set her right hand on top of Kagome's head, rubbing her triangle shaped ears in the process. She could see the sadness in her big eyes. 'I'm sorry,' she said to herself with a small smile, as she gave her attention to the two demons standing across from her. "We'll be back." Before Kagura could open her mouth, Rin spoke. "Kagome needs a bath."

Kagura sighed; it couldn't hurt. After all, they were retreating in a hot spring with pools of hot water around. She looked Rin up and down. She didn't look suspicious. "Alright, but nothing funny. Once again, I'm not like Sesshomaru at all." Did he teach her to run away all the time? If he had, he did a marvelous job at it.

Kanna looked up at her sister with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to leave them alone?" She got no answer, and followed her sister as she made her way out of the thin vegetation that would lead to a clearing.

"Be back at dark."

Rin gulped silently and made sure to nod at Kagura's order. Losing her life and leaving Kagome alone wasn't part of the plan. In fact, she had no plan. Her _ideal_ plan was just to stay alive. 'He won't come for me,' she said to herself with a small smile. 'And I'm fine with that…' Looking at the little girl who came to her knees, she slowly lifted Kagome into her arms. "After your bath, we can talk about what's on your mind."

Kagome nodded. "…Auntie Rinny, where are we?"

Rin smiled at the pet name. "Not sure," she said while looking at the trees. "In a forest, I guess." She found the closest spring, and was thankful that it was a good distance away from Kagura and Kanna. "Kagome… it'll be alright." She could feel the girl shaking in her arms. Kissing her forehead, she felt better when the half demon's fear slipped away slightly. "Promise."

She gasped when something touched her that was wet. Looking at Kagome, she sat down in front of the spring and held her close to her body. "It's alright. Auntie Rinny's right here with you."

Kagome continued to hold onto her 'aunt's' kimono. 'I want my mommy!' she said to herself through glassy eyes. "Auntie Rinny… after my bath… could you take me to a…" Looking up at brown eyes that looked just like her mother's, she smiled, showing a pearly white fang in the process. "A tree?" If she wasn't able to think in her father's tree, another one would be a good improvise. 'My stomach hurts…'

Rin giggled. "Sure." She giggled more when in a second a form was gone from her arms, and she was seeing the last of tan skin hop into the spring. All that was left in her arms was Kagome's clothing.

As she watched over Kagome while she sat in a spring less than five feet away, she sighed quietly. 'Sesshomaru-sama…' she thought with teary eyes. 'I know that you're still upset, or better yet, I don't even know what you're thinking.' Looking to the sky through the trees, her eyes darkened at the moon. It was still visible through the orange sky. 'Please come get me.'

She sunk lower into the pool so her nose was just above the surface. Her long hair scattered around her, sticking to her wet body and flowing like silk in the steaming water. 'I've… never been away from you for so long before.' She smiled under the water. 'Guess I'm acting like a child again.'

Was it time to grow up?

_It was a regular day with her lord. He was quiet most of the time, which made her want to ask him a question. She hadn't bothered to say anything that day, and being a fourteen year-old, all she wanted was someone to talk to. She would touch his hair lightly sometimes, but always pulled away when she had the need to braid it._

_It was longer than hers, she knew that much. Her stump that was perched on her head had now disappeared into the rest of her dark hair, making it invisible, as if it had never been there all those years ago._

_She smiled brightly. The past was now behind her, even the embarrassing parts._

_Her chocolate eyes looked to her left. She was met with fuzz. Looking beyond Sesshomaru's fluffy thing, she smiled at his emotionless face. He always looked the same, just how she liked him. 'I've had feelings for about a year now,' she said to herself while looking at his handsome face. '…Those strange markings.' She raised an eyebrow. 'I wonder if they're real.' She snapped her head the other direction when he looked down at her._

"_What is it?"_

'_His voice is the same as ever,' she glanced at him and smiled. "Nothing, my lord," she answered while returning her eyes to the side. Her bangs got in her face slightly, and she was very grateful that she hadn't cut them yet. 'I'm sure that his makeup is real…' She gasped silently. 'That'd make them tattoos!'_

_His eyelids… they were pink for some reason. 'Pink is my favorite color,' she said to herself while looking ahead. 'So that makes Lord Sesshomaru my favorite person.' He would always be her favorite person, pink or not. He was such a hero in her eyes, such a man with an attractive face and features._

_She stopped walking, and when she caught her breath, she chased after her lord. 'But what if he's not a real man?' She had never heard of a girl with a crush on a girl, so she was dazed on the topic. Little did she know that all this would change in five hundred years._

_She soon found herself staring at him again, and when he looked down at her and asked his question a second time, she gulped. 'If it's makeup and I touch it…' Her hand extended out, causing Jaken to gasp and sit up strait on Ah-Un, his ears perking so he could listen from ten feet behind._

_Pulling her hand back, she blushed deeply and exhaled. "Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked while looking down. "Lord Sesshomaru, is that makeup?" she asked while pointing directly at his face. "I always thought you were a 'he', but… I'm not sure anymore."_

_She felt time freeze for a few seconds. Her lord stopped mid-step with widened eyes, and she could have sworn that he was blushing. She smiled. "I think you're a he… are you?" Finally getting the courage, she extended her left hand and touched his face. It was warm._

_Scooting herself so she was in front of him, she rubbed her hand up and down in a fast motion, and when nothing came off, she clasped her hands together. "They really are real!" she said with a smile. Her lord had yet to move from his place. The only thing on him that seemed to be moving was his hair, but it always swayed from side to side naturally…_

"_Stupid human! Of course Lord Sesshomaru is male!"_

She slightly nodded to herself. 'The first time I touched his face.' Coming above so the water was at the middle of her stomach, she moved her bangs so her forehead was bare. "Guess so," she ran her hands up and down her arms. 'I can't depend on him forever. Twelve years is enough time.' She stared at her reflection in the water. She looked exactly like one of the women she looked up to, Kagome.

"Auntie Rinny?"

Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at Kagome who had her red kimono and under kimono in her hands. "Something wrong?" she asked as she took her clothes and thanked her. When the child nodded her head, she quickly dressed and grabbed her claw. "Tired?"

Kagome rubbed her eyes with her right claw and yawned. "Auntie Rinny… I was bleeding while I was in the bath and my stomach hurts." She tried not to whine, but it came out strong. It hurt like when her mother would bring 'candy' from where she was from. 'It's like I just ate 'chocolate'.' She was told by her mother that dogs from where she was from couldn't have any. They became ill.

Rin's eyes widened. "This can't be happening!"

&&&&&

Kagura looked across from her, nodded when Rin was sleeping against a tree, and leaned into the one she was sitting in front of. Keeping watch during the night was what she and Kanna had agreed on was her job.

She eyed the bags under the young woman's eyes. 'She must have had a fright,' she thought with a grin. 'Looks like she's experiencing what Sesshomaru goes through everyday…' Her eyes softened at the thought of the demon. 'Just where the hell are you?' She clutched her fan in her left hand and made a small tornado of wind. Pointing her right index finger towards Rin's direction, the small amount of wind hit her face, making it fully visible under her bangs, parting the hair down the middle so her forehead was clear.

'What do you see in her?' she said to herself with a raised eyebrow through the fire separating them. 'You have no reason to have a human with black hair and brown eyes travel with you…' She didn't understand anything. Plenty of women fit Rin's description, but still he traveled with _her_.

She looked down at her crossed legs. 'Why?' Her eyes seemed to sting, and before she knew it, she was crying for the first time. '…You know I have feelings for you! You know! So… why?!' She pierced her eyes through Rin's plump body that was identical to Kagome's. She expected this woman to be skinny from traveling all the time, wearing her feet out with walking, and having little time to herself, she expected Rin to be an ugly beast.

But she wasn't.

She didn't understand this either. She was a woman that lived with three men; not men, but _demons_! Shouldn't she know how to kill something? How to be mean? And why did she smile all the time?

She shook her head and smiled. "You're nothing more than a slave with nowhere to go," she concluded with a small laugh, as Kanna's sleeping head laid in her lap. Running her hand through the white hair, she continued to watch Rin's drooped head as she slept.

"And you." She looked up into the tree Rin was perched at the bottom of, and stuck her tongue out at the sleeping Kagome who was sleeping on a branch. "Inuyasha adores you and your siblings," she said with disgust. "He favors your mother like she's a lifeline." She didn't know that Inuyasha and Kagome were actually a lifeline, _lifeline partners_. She continued to glare at Kagome. "You're a hanyou, just like him."

"…And proud of it."

Gasping, Kagura's eyes widened when two yellow circles were staring at her. She was curious as to why Kagome was holding her stomach as she slept, but that didn't matter at the moment. "Go to bed. Tomorrow you're walking." She pointed to Kanna who was asleep in her lap. "You wore out my sister. She never sleeps."

Kagome said nothing, but instead stuck her own tongue out at Kagura. "Being a hanyou is something I'm proud of." She smiled. "It's fun. My mommy says that she wouldn't have me any other way."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Ambition, that's something you and her have in common," she said with more disgust. "She and your father may tell you that, but there's more." She looked Kagome square in the face. "In these times, being a hanyou is a bad thing. Demons and humans don't mix here." She shook her head. "If you feel like living in that fairytale, go somewhere else."

Kagome gasped and clutched a fist. "But what about Uncle Sessy and Auntie Rinny?!" she shouted, while managing to get a stir from her aunt. "I may be little, but I'm not stupid!" She pointed a clawed finger at the wind demon. "Daddy says that they've been together since Auntie Rin was small!" Turning her finger downwards, she grinned. "She's a human, while Uncle Sessy's a demon!"

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Just go to sleep. Dream about not being a runt," she spat out, and felt better when Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. The demon continued to stare until the six year-old's eyelids slowly closed. "Dammit, such a brat."

She stayed quiet for half a minute, just to make sure that Kagome wouldn't wake and decide to have another fight with her. 'That kid's got spunk,' she said to herself. 'She'll need a lot of it if she wants to fit in with this world…' Giving her attention to the fire before her, she smiled slightly. "Sesshomaru… you always remind me of fire."

Mighty and strong, blazing with dominance, and willing to destroy anything in its path, fire and Sesshomaru fit perfectly together, opposed to Rin who thought the moon and Sesshomaru fit together.

Sitting up slightly, she shivered. It was always cold in the northern lands. "How are you managing?" she asked no one with a grin. "You should be feeling under the weather here, that you should." Naraku's plan was genius enough to actually work. Sesshomaru was by now in the northern lands, a place where he was bound to never go to. He could die if discovered, yet alone ambushed by the ruler of these lands.

'No,' she thought as she clutched a fist. 'I won't let anything happen to you-'

"Sesshomaru…"

Looking up, Kagura seemed to growl at Rin. "Now why would you be dreaming about him?" Making her fan flutter, she slashed a powerful strike of air at Rin's face, causing droplets of blood to splatter on the ground, but still not enough to make the woman stir from her slumber. "I thought I told you to forget about him!" she yelled, causing Kanna's eyes to snap open. 'No!'

She was the one who was in love with him.

'No one else…'

&&&&&

Sesshomaru set the woman down on the dirt in front of a fire which he guessed was hers, taken that she was digging through the sack near the futon she was sitting on. He looked down at Tensaiga. 'Why'd you have me save this human?' She didn't look familiar…

The woman pulled out a piece of cloth and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked to be about eighty, _old_, and freezing from being in the cold. "Have a seat," she said with a friendly smile to the demon who she didn't know. "You may not like speaking, but anyone's company in this weather is nice to be around."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. A forward one, huh? His plan was to simply leave her and continue finding Rin, but he soon found Tensaiga shaking, and he reluctantly sat across from her. He was wet from the lake, which made little effect on him. He soon found himself curious, which didn't happen very often in his perspective. "…Why are you here?" he asked while looking into her thin green eyes.

The elderly woman continued to smile at him, not once scared at the fact that he was a demon, missing an arm, just as wet as she was, and hadn't chosen to say that it was cold. "I'm the only survivor in the village of whence I was born," she started, and threw a stick sitting next to her in the fire. "I was in the fields when a huge bomb fell upon the village," she said while looking to the side.

Sesshomaru nodded. "So you left?" This caught his attention. The bombing, Rin and Kagome disappearing, another bombing in a different part of the country, and Inuyasha being the target? 'It doesn't make sense.' His eyes narrowed. 'Naraku.' That was the only explanation he could come up with, but what did he want Rin for? Was she of worth to him?

He tried telling himself that it was nothing but rage that ran through his veins, but his anger got the better of him. Naraku was a possibility, but what had he done _now_ to cause the half demon to take Rin from him? 'He'd better think twice before hurting her.'

He was losing it again.

The woman nodded. "Of course I did. In fact, I was on my way to the eastern lands. I thought I'd pay a visit to the western and southern lands in the process." She continued to smile at the man before her. She noticed that he was looking into the fire, his hair glowing orange from the black sky. His amber eyes were a blazing red as he stared on. "Now that I've answered your question, I'll ask you one." She folded her arms into the sleeves of her loose kimono. "Tell me young one, what's on your mind? You look rather pathetic over there."

Sesshomaru shook his head and looked at her. "It's nothing," he tried to lie, but found that this woman reminded him of Rin. They were both so full of spunk and could read him like no one else ever could. 'And that smile…' Just who the hell was this woman?

Clutching his right claw into a fist, he completely forgot that he had dropped his arm on the ground as he rushed to save the woman who was about to drown in the middle of the lake. Her reasons for even getting into a lake were beyond him. It was far too cold.

The woman rubbed her chin. "I see," she said while looking at his fist. "Even if you're weak from almost risking your life to save someone, they left, and you've been searching for them ever since." She laughed when he looked at her, his eyes wide. Reading minds was a quality she had been given since birth.

Sesshomaru eyed her. She looked pretty normal to him. She was just a woman in an oversized with dark brown hair going down her back and to her waist. She was as skinny as a stick, he'd give her that much. "…Should I keep going after her?" Just what the hell was he doing?

The woman giggled. "I see. We're talking about a _her_." His mind wouldn't allow her to enter that deep into it. 'Perhaps it's the sword that's shaking?' she thought as she looked the demon square in the face. "Just by saying 'Should I keep going after her?' you basically confessed that you care." She knew the dilemma he was facing. "Human or not, go forth and find her."

Sesshomaru tried to hide his blush, but it came rather lightly.

Taking off the cloth from her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around her neck, taking off a necklace her now deceased husband had given her when he had proposed. It was a tradition that the woman gets something special when asked to have a man's hand in marriage. She didn't know if this went on in other lands, but it did in hers. "Take this." When she had taken it off it was orange, now it was clear. It was in the shape of a rose, minus the stem.

Sesshomaru caught the necklace that was tossed at him. As soon as it came in contact with the palm of his hand, it turned yellow. 'What the hell?' he thought while raising an eyebrow at it. Jewelry wasn't what he had in mind…

The woman stood, folded her futon, and set it next to her sack. "Young man, it's not for you, so don't get accustomed to it." She watched as the rose turned a deep yellow. "You're on your toes, in other words, you're alert." She pointed a finger at him. "There are seven colors that the necklace turns. It changes with your mood." She continued when he nodded. "There's yellow, black, red, orange, pink, blue, and purple."

Sesshomaru held it tight in his claw. 'Yellow's alert…'

"Yellow is alert, black is hatred, red is fear, orange is calm, pink is love, blue is pleasure, and purple is pain." She shook her index finger at him. "Purple and black are colors that I've never seen on the necklace, but the moods were explained to me by my husband." Her crippled finger was sent downwards to the necklace. "Never lose it."

Sesshomaru memorized the colors. "What's it for?"

"Give it to this woman."

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** I'm having computer problems over here, so please stay with me. The mood necklace came to mind when my mom gave me one for finishing all my projects I had to do. It's for Sesshomaru's advantage. Who says he'll even _tell her of the colors_? I'm sorry if the flashbacks 'bore' some of you, but they're my favorite part of this story.

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	9. Meet Lord Jai, the Fiancé

··10/20/07

**Disclaimer:** I watch the show, I draw the show, I paint the show, I fanaticize the show while eating dinner, I even brush my teeth and hum 'Change the World'. What does this tell me? Depression? Harmony? Matrimony? Say what you want… I just don't own Inuyasha! In fact, I don't even want to own him. It's all about Sesshomaru, kiddos!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive…

'_No one else…'_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Yet again Sesshomaru found himself staring at the sky, hoping with all his power that Rin would appear before him. He was irritated yes, but not irritated enough to speak to her if he would ever find the woman. She had indeed caused him to 'lose it', and he was now sure that he was going to explode if he didn't get a glance at Rin in the next few minutes.

A laughing Ah-Un wasn't helping…

Turning, the demon narrowed his eyes at the snickering beast. It knew that he was concerned about Rin's whereabouts… but who wasn't? Sesshomaru could tell that even _Jaken_ was missing Rin's happy presence by the look on his face, or so he thought. He had thought of nothing but Rin for the last few hours. This was normal for when she would disappear while growing up, but the feeling was more intense than it normally was.

Jaken crossed his arms over his little chest with an impatient look on his face. "My lord! Why are you spending so much time looking for someone as unworthy as Rin?!" he unknowingly shouted. Sesshomaru had been so confusing this past noontime. It was almost sunset, and the youkai had yet to stop walking, to give up. "I thought you would have gone searching for Naraku by now!" he whined a foot behind his master. "…Let's just go!"

He knew by heart that they weren't following Naraku's trail, they were chasing after Rin. 'But why in the northern lands?' he thought while raising an invisible eyebrow. 'Lord Sesshomaru knows that he can get killed by entering the lands of Lord Jai…'

Gathering his little courage, he opened his mouth and coughed slightly. "My lord… do you have the slightest idea as to where you are?" he asked as they continued to pass the miles of vegetation. He had seen nothing but tall trees since noon. It had gotten colder as well, and with he and Ah-Un being cold blooded, it was getting harder for them to carry onwards into the changing weather. One minute it was fine, and the next it was freezing. 'If only I had a thick mane like Lord Sesshomaru!'

Sesshomaru, sensing the fact that Ah-Un shivered and sent the vibrations through the ground, turned around, causing a thinking Jaken to crash into his legs. He had yet to answer any of the creature's questions so far. Coming up with answers wasn't on his mind at the moment. "You two go back. You can't go any further." Of course he knew of their 'condition'.

Ah-Un was quick to nod, while Jaken was anything but happy.

"_**WHAT**_?!" the imp shouted, causing some birds to flee from the trees near the group. "Just what's gotten into you, my lord?! Why on earth would you send Ah-Un and I back to the western lands?!" He stomped his foot on the ground, hoping he had gotten through to the demon. "We go where you go!"

In the blink of an eye, he was grabbed by the cloth on his back and into Ah's mouth. "Put me down you insolent monster! I must go with my lord!"

The two headed demon nodded at Sesshomaru. Un bent down to pick up Jaken's staff that he had dropped during his speech, while Ah stared his master strait in the face, its own way of telling the youkai to be careful and bring Rin back alive.

While letting a sigh escape him, Sesshomaru nodded. He made sure to see the last of their bodies disappear before continuing on his way. He knew that he was in great danger by entering the northern lands, but he had no choice; for some reason Rin's scent was this direction.

'Why?' he thought with a raised eyebrow. He knew that she was angry with him, but angry enough to actually run away? 'This isn't like you…' Looking down, he ignored the shaking Tensaiga. 'You miss her?' Was that even possible? Minute by minute the blade was rejecting him, which he guessed was a positive answer. He could hardly get a vibe or word from it. It was needless to say that this contraption was his conscience, and he had gotten used to its company.

As he made his was through the trees, he found himself standing in a valley with nothing but flowers. They were probably grown in spots, he guessed, which was why the colors were all separated. There was a row of red that went for as far as his sharp eyes could see, as well as orange, white, blue, and even the ever so rare, black.

His eyes softened slightly when he caught sight of Rin's favorite color. He had never liked this color, but having it permanently on his face made him get used to having it around. 'Pink.' The woman had always been in love with pink since he could remember.

Shaking his head, he tried to detect the scent that Rin naturally gave off, maple and lavender. It was hard to get a trace of it, for these scents were usually in a forest, one of the reasons why he couldn't find Rin when that monk had kidnapped her. He had always kept that dirty little secret to himself.

Sesshomaru's eyes looked onwards. The hill in the valley went downwards, the direction he was hoping to find Rin in. He had entered the forest while going up the mountain that separated the western lands from the northern lands, so going down was his next option unless Rin was hiding the fact that she could fly like an eagle.

Clutching the arm in his right hand he had yet to get rid of, he started downhill. "You had better be alive," he managed to say under his breath. Little did he know, but he was looking at the pink flowers as he said this, and he soon found himself dropping his arm and picking one up, caressing a petal with his index finger and thumb.

It was only normal for him to be cautious everywhere he went, but this was just unusual. He had almost fallen over when a butterfly landed on his shoulder. He wasn't even supposed to be in the northern lands, yet here he was. He knew that Ah-Un and Tensaiga would never forgive him if he didn't find the twenty year-old. He had a deadline, and time was running out.

"_Help!"_

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. It was a voice, a faint one, as well as a stingy one. It wasn't Rin's by a long shot, he knew this for sure. Snapping his head to the left of the hill, he found a waterfall with a figure at the bottom of it. It looked to be like the person was stuck in the middle of the lake.

Tensaiga started shaking.

&&&&&

Kagura set Rin down on the ground for the second time that day. She had carried the woman once she found that the more she talked, the slower she walked. It was almost sunset, and she figured that they were in the clear. They should be in Naraku's presence somewhere around the next day.

"Stay," she instructed. "I'm not like Sesshomaru at all, so get used to it." Kagura crossed her arms over her chest. "You run away, you're punished." It was the best she could think of. "Sure, I'll go after you like him, but I won't be so forward."

Rin stretched her arms high above her head, the sleeves to her red kimono falling down to her shoulders. "Hai," she said while looking to the side. Her back hurt like crazy thanks to Kagura's antics with trying to keep her quiet. The slaps she could handle, but carrying her? 'She's no Sesshomaru-sama, that's for sure.'

Looking down when she felt something grip her leg, she set her right hand on top of Kagome's head, rubbing her triangle shaped ears in the process. She could see the sadness in her big eyes. 'I'm sorry,' she said to herself with a small smile, as she gave her attention to the two demons standing across from her. "We'll be back." Before Kagura could open her mouth, Rin spoke. "Kagome needs a bath."

Kagura sighed; it couldn't hurt. After all, they were retreating in a hot spring with pools of hot water around. She looked Rin up and down. She didn't look suspicious. "Alright, but nothing funny. Once again, I'm not like Sesshomaru at all." Did he teach her to run away all the time? If he had, he did a marvelous job at it.

Kanna looked up at her sister with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to leave them alone?" She got no answer, and followed her sister as she made her way out of the thin vegetation that would lead to a clearing.

"Be back at dark."

Rin gulped silently and made sure to nod at Kagura's order. Losing her life and leaving Kagome alone wasn't part of the plan. In fact, she had no plan. Her _ideal_ plan was just to stay alive. 'He won't come for me,' she said to herself with a small smile. 'And I'm fine with that…' Looking at the little girl who came to her knees, she slowly lifted Kagome into her arms. "After your bath, we can talk about what's on your mind."

Kagome nodded. "…Auntie Rinny, where are we?"

Rin smiled at the pet name. "Not sure," she said while looking at the trees. "In a forest, I guess." She found the closest spring, and was thankful that it was a good distance away from Kagura and Kanna. "Kagome… it'll be alright." She could feel the girl shaking in her arms. Kissing her forehead, she felt better when the half demon's fear slipped away slightly. "Promise."

She gasped when something touched her that was wet. Looking at Kagome, she sat down in front of the spring and held her close to her body. "It's alright. Auntie Rinny's right here with you."

Kagome continued to hold onto her 'aunt's' kimono. 'I want my mommy!' she said to herself through glassy eyes. "Auntie Rinny… after my bath… could you take me to a…" Looking up at brown eyes that looked just like her mother's, she smiled, showing a pearly white fang in the process. "A tree?" If she wasn't able to think in her father's tree, another one would be a good improvise. 'My stomach hurts…'

Rin giggled. "Sure." She giggled more when in a second a form was gone from her arms, and she was seeing the last of tan skin hop into the spring. All that was left in her arms was Kagome's clothing.

As she watched over Kagome while she sat in a spring less than five feet away, she sighed quietly. 'Sesshomaru-sama…' she thought with teary eyes. 'I know that you're still upset, or better yet, I don't even know what you're thinking.' Looking to the sky through the trees, her eyes darkened at the moon. It was still visible through the orange sky. 'Please come get me.'

She sunk lower into the pool so her nose was just above the surface. Her long hair scattered around her, sticking to her wet body and flowing like silk in the steaming water. 'I've… never been away from you for so long before.' She smiled under the water. 'Guess I'm acting like a child again.'

Was it time to grow up?

_It was a regular day with her lord. He was quiet most of the time, which made her want to ask him a question. She hadn't bothered to say anything that day, and being a fourteen year-old, all she wanted was someone to talk to. She would touch his hair lightly sometimes, but always pulled away when she had the need to braid it._

_It was longer than hers, she knew that much. Her stump that was perched on her head had now disappeared into the rest of her dark hair, making it invisible, as if it had never been there all those years ago._

_She smiled brightly. The past was now behind her, even the embarrassing parts._

_Her chocolate eyes looked to her left. She was met with fuzz. Looking beyond Sesshomaru's fluffy thing, she smiled at his emotionless face. He always looked the same, just how she liked him. 'I've had feelings for about a year now,' she said to herself while looking at his handsome face. '…Those strange markings.' She raised an eyebrow. 'I wonder if they're real.' She snapped her head the other direction when he looked down at her._

"_What is it?"_

'_His voice is the same as ever,' she glanced at him and smiled. "Nothing, my lord," she answered while returning her eyes to the side. Her bangs got in her face slightly, and she was very grateful that she hadn't cut them yet. 'I'm sure that his makeup is real…' She gasped silently. 'That'd make them tattoos!'_

_His eyelids… they were pink for some reason. 'Pink is my favorite color,' she said to herself while looking ahead. 'So that makes Lord Sesshomaru my favorite person.' He would always be her favorite person, pink or not. He was such a hero in her eyes, such a man with an attractive face and features._

_She stopped walking, and when she caught her breath, she chased after her lord. 'But what if he's not a real man?' She had never heard of a girl with a crush on a girl, so she was dazed on the topic. Little did she know that all this would change in five hundred years._

_She soon found herself staring at him again, and when he looked down at her and asked his question a second time, she gulped. 'If it's makeup and I touch it…' Her hand extended out, causing Jaken to gasp and sit up strait on Ah-Un, his ears perking so he could listen from ten feet behind._

_Pulling her hand back, she blushed deeply and exhaled. "Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked while looking down. "Lord Sesshomaru, is that makeup?" she asked while pointing directly at his face. "I always thought you were a 'he', but… I'm not sure anymore."_

_She felt time freeze for a few seconds. Her lord stopped mid-step with widened eyes, and she could have sworn that he was blushing. She smiled. "I think you're a he… are you?" Finally getting the courage, she extended her left hand and touched his face. It was warm._

_Scooting herself so she was in front of him, she rubbed her hand up and down in a fast motion, and when nothing came off, she clasped her hands together. "They really are real!" she said with a smile. Her lord had yet to move from his place. The only thing on him that seemed to be moving was his hair, but it always swayed from side to side naturally…_

"_Stupid human! Of course Lord Sesshomaru is male!"_

She slightly nodded to herself. 'The first time I touched his face.' Coming above so the water was at the middle of her stomach, she moved her bangs so her forehead was bare. "Guess so," she ran her hands up and down her arms. 'I can't depend on him forever. Twelve years is enough time.' She stared at her reflection in the water. She looked exactly like one of the women she looked up to, Kagome.

"Auntie Rinny?"

Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at Kagome who had her red kimono and under kimono in her hands. "Something wrong?" she asked as she took her clothes and thanked her. When the child nodded her head, she quickly dressed and grabbed her claw. "Tired?"

Kagome rubbed her eyes with her right claw and yawned. "Auntie Rinny… I was bleeding while I was in the bath and my stomach hurts." She tried not to whine, but it came out strong. It hurt like when her mother would bring 'candy' from where she was from. 'It's like I just ate 'chocolate'.' She was told by her mother that dogs from where she was from couldn't have any. They became ill.

Rin's eyes widened. "This can't be happening!"

&&&&&

Kagura looked across from her, nodded when Rin was sleeping against a tree, and leaned into the one she was sitting in front of. Keeping watch during the night was what she and Kanna had agreed on was her job.

She eyed the bags under the young woman's eyes. 'She must have had a fright,' she thought with a grin. 'Looks like she's experiencing what Sesshomaru goes through everyday…' Her eyes softened at the thought of the demon. 'Just where the hell are you?' She clutched her fan in her left hand and made a small tornado of wind. Pointing her right index finger towards Rin's direction, the small amount of wind hit her face, making it fully visible under her bangs, parting the hair down the middle so her forehead was clear.

'What do you see in her?' she said to herself with a raised eyebrow through the fire separating them. 'You have no reason to have a human with black hair and brown eyes travel with you…' She didn't understand anything. Plenty of women fit Rin's description, but still he traveled with _her_.

She looked down at her crossed legs. 'Why?' Her eyes seemed to sting, and before she knew it, she was crying for the first time. '…You know I have feelings for you! You know! So… why?!' She pierced her eyes through Rin's plump body that was identical to Kagome's. She expected this woman to be skinny from traveling all the time, wearing her feet out with walking, and having little time to herself, she expected Rin to be an ugly beast.

But she wasn't.

She didn't understand this either. She was a woman that lived with three men; not men, but _demons_! Shouldn't she know how to kill something? How to be mean? And why did she smile all the time?

She shook her head and smiled. "You're nothing more than a slave with nowhere to go," she concluded with a small laugh, as Kanna's sleeping head laid in her lap. Running her hand through the white hair, she continued to watch Rin's drooped head as she slept.

"And you." She looked up into the tree Rin was perched at the bottom of, and stuck her tongue out at the sleeping Kagome who was sleeping on a branch. "Inuyasha adores you and your siblings," she said with disgust. "He favors your mother like she's a lifeline." She didn't know that Inuyasha and Kagome were actually a lifeline, _lifeline partners_. She continued to glare at Kagome. "You're a hanyou, just like him."

"…And proud of it."

Gasping, Kagura's eyes widened when two yellow circles were staring at her. She was curious as to why Kagome was holding her stomach as she slept, but that didn't matter at the moment. "Go to bed. Tomorrow you're walking." She pointed to Kanna who was asleep in her lap. "You wore out my sister. She never sleeps."

Kagome said nothing, but instead stuck her own tongue out at Kagura. "Being a hanyou is something I'm proud of." She smiled. "It's fun. My mommy says that she wouldn't have me any other way."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Ambition, that's something you and her have in common," she said with more disgust. "She and your father may tell you that, but there's more." She looked Kagome square in the face. "In these times, being a hanyou is a bad thing. Demons and humans don't mix here." She shook her head. "If you feel like living in that fairytale, go somewhere else."

Kagome gasped and clutched a fist. "But what about Uncle Sessy and Auntie Rinny?!" she shouted, while managing to get a stir from her aunt. "I may be little, but I'm not stupid!" She pointed a clawed finger at the wind demon. "Daddy says that they've been together since Auntie Rin was small!" Turning her finger downwards, she grinned. "She's a human, while Uncle Sessy's a demon!"

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Just go to sleep. Dream about not being a runt," she spat out, and felt better when Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. The demon continued to stare until the six year-old's eyelids slowly closed. "Dammit, such a brat."

She stayed quiet for half a minute, just to make sure that Kagome wouldn't wake and decide to have another fight with her. 'That kid's got spunk,' she said to herself. 'She'll need a lot of it if she wants to fit in with this world…' Giving her attention to the fire before her, she smiled slightly. "Sesshomaru… you always remind me of fire."

Mighty and strong, blazing with dominance, and willing to destroy anything in its path, fire and Sesshomaru fit perfectly together, opposed to Rin who thought the moon and Sesshomaru fit together.

Sitting up slightly, she shivered. It was always cold in the northern lands. "How are you managing?" she asked no one with a grin. "You should be feeling under the weather here, that you should." Naraku's plan was genius enough to actually work. Sesshomaru was by now in the northern lands, a place where he was bound to never go to. He could die if discovered, yet alone ambushed by the ruler of these lands.

'No,' she thought as she clutched a fist. 'I won't let anything happen to you-'

"Sesshomaru…"

Looking up, Kagura seemed to growl at Rin. "Now why would you be dreaming about him?" Making her fan flutter, she slashed a powerful strike of air at Rin's face, causing droplets of blood to splatter on the ground, but still not enough to make the woman stir from her slumber. "I thought I told you to forget about him!" she yelled, causing Kanna's eyes to snap open. 'No!'

She was the one who was in love with him.

'No one else…'

&&&&&

Sesshomaru set the woman down on the dirt in front of a fire which he guessed was hers, taken that she was digging through the sack near the futon she was sitting on. He looked down at Tensaiga. 'Why'd you have me save this human?' She didn't look familiar…

The woman pulled out a piece of cloth and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked to be about eighty, _old_, and freezing from being in the cold. "Have a seat," she said with a friendly smile to the demon who she didn't know. "You may not like speaking, but anyone's company in this weather is nice to be around."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. A forward one, huh? His plan was to simply leave her and continue finding Rin, but he soon found Tensaiga shaking, and he reluctantly sat across from her. He was wet from the lake, which made little effect on him. He soon found himself curious, which didn't happen very often in his perspective. "…Why are you here?" he asked while looking into her thin green eyes.

The elderly woman continued to smile at him, not once scared at the fact that he was a demon, missing an arm, just as wet as she was, and hadn't chosen to say that it was cold. "I'm the only survivor in the village of whence I was born," she started, and threw a stick sitting next to her in the fire. "I was in the fields when a huge bomb fell upon the village," she said while looking to the side.

Sesshomaru nodded. "So you left?" This caught his attention. The bombing, Rin and Kagome disappearing, another bombing in a different part of the country, and Inuyasha being the target? 'It doesn't make sense.' His eyes narrowed. 'Naraku.' That was the only explanation he could come up with, but what did he want Rin for? Was she of worth to him?

He tried telling himself that it was nothing but rage that ran through his veins, but his anger got the better of him. Naraku was a possibility, but what had he done _now_ to cause the half demon to take Rin from him? 'He'd better think twice before hurting her.'

He was losing it again.

The woman nodded. "Of course I did. In fact, I was on my way to the eastern lands. I thought I'd pay a visit to the western and southern lands in the process." She continued to smile at the man before her. She noticed that he was looking into the fire, his hair glowing orange from the black sky. His amber eyes were a blazing red as he stared on. "Now that I've answered your question, I'll ask you one." She folded her arms into the sleeves of her loose kimono. "Tell me young one, what's on your mind? You look rather pathetic over there."

Sesshomaru shook his head and looked at her. "It's nothing," he tried to lie, but found that this woman reminded him of Rin. They were both so full of spunk and could read him like no one else ever could. 'And that smile…' Just who the hell was this woman?

Clutching his right claw into a fist, he completely forgot that he had dropped his arm on the ground as he rushed to save the woman who was about to drown in the middle of the lake. Her reasons for even getting into a lake were beyond him. It was far too cold.

The woman rubbed her chin. "I see," she said while looking at his fist. "Even if you're weak from almost risking your life to save someone, they left, and you've been searching for them ever since." She laughed when he looked at her, his eyes wide. Reading minds was a quality she had been given since birth.

Sesshomaru eyed her. She looked pretty normal to him. She was just a woman in an oversized with dark brown hair going down her back and to her waist. She was as skinny as a stick, he'd give her that much. "…Should I keep going after her?" Just what the hell was he doing?

The woman giggled. "I see. We're talking about a _her_." His mind wouldn't allow her to enter that deep into it. 'Perhaps it's the sword that's shaking?' she thought as she looked the demon square in the face. "Just by saying 'Should I keep going after her?' you basically confessed that you care." She knew the dilemma he was facing. "Human or not, go forth and find her."

Sesshomaru tried to hide his blush, but it came rather lightly.

Taking off the cloth from her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around her neck, taking off a necklace her now deceased husband had given her when he had proposed. It was a tradition that the woman gets something special when asked to have a man's hand in marriage. She didn't know if this went on in other lands, but it did in hers. "Take this." When she had taken it off it was orange, now it was clear. It was in the shape of a rose, minus the stem.

Sesshomaru caught the necklace that was tossed at him. As soon as it came in contact with the palm of his hand, it turned yellow. 'What the hell?' he thought while raising an eyebrow at it. Jewelry wasn't what he had in mind…

The woman stood, folded her futon, and set it next to her sack. "Young man, it's not for you, so don't get accustomed to it." She watched as the rose turned a deep yellow. "You're on your toes, in other words, you're alert." She pointed a finger at him. "There are seven colors that the necklace turns. It changes with your mood." She continued when he nodded. "There's yellow, black, red, orange, pink, blue, and purple."

Sesshomaru held it tight in his claw. 'Yellow's alert…'

"Yellow is alert, black is hatred, red is fear, orange is calm, pink is love, blue is pleasure, and purple is pain." She shook her index finger at him. "Purple and black are colors that I've never seen on the necklace, but the moods were explained to me by my husband." Her crippled finger was sent downwards to the necklace. "Never lose it."

Sesshomaru memorized the colors. "What's it for?"

"Give it to this woman."

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** I'm having computer problems over here, so please stay with me. The mood necklace came to mind when my mom gave me one for finishing all my projects I had to do. It's for Sesshomaru's advantage. Who says he'll even _tell her of the colors_? I'm sorry if the flashbacks 'bore' some of you, but they're my favorite part of this story.

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	10. Baby

··11/11/07

**Disclaimer:** Welcome to chapter 10 kiddos. Just as a reminder, as much as I've been trying, I don't own Inuyasha _or_ Sesshomaru. Try as I might, I'm still going on Sesshomaru! So cute! Don't you think so too? Anyway, enjoy and make sure to tell me what you think!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Baby_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Jai watched as Rin took Kagome off her back and cradled the young demon in her arms. Yes, he would marry her. She had the perfect body, the perfect looks, and the most beautiful eyes he had ever set his own on. 'Sorry Suri,' he said to himself with a grin. 'Our marriage was arranged anyway.'

Her wavy hair looked like it had frozen ice on it, making her look like a snow angel. He smiled. 'She sure got through my blizzard in good shape,' he thought while rubbing his chin. 'She's my kind of woman, the strong type, I'll give her that.'

His dark blue eyes narrowed at Kagura when she grabbed Rin by the kimono, dragging her over to the fire. He felt his insides melt when she was sat across from him, next to Naraku. 'Is she already taken?' His heart skipped a beat at the thought. 'She's the most beautiful woman I've ever met…'

'So she's what he's looking for? Hmph, it's been a fairly long time since he's had a mate…' Naraku sucked in the silence; this was going grand. "This is what you want in exchange?" he said while wrapping his arm around Rin's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "I see." Looking down at her, he quickly shot her a glare, demanding that she keep silent. He figured she got the message when Kagura opened her fan that had been frozen to her hand earlier.

Rin knew by now that talking back brought her nothing but trouble. She silently nodded and eyed the man across from her. She was _scared_. This entire hut was filled with a demonic aura. She somewhat felt left out. 'Who is this man?' she said to herself while cocking her head to the side.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that he had the same color hair as Sesshomaru. Shaking her head, she noted that he looked strong, as if he were a fighter. She could also tell from the sword on his hip that he was powerful, as well as the callosity in his fingers and knuckles. His eyes confused her. They were the color of a lake at night. Not completely black, but near that area of color shades. She looked away when he eyed her, hoping she hadn't been rude.

As her eyes looked upwards, she noticed for the first time that he either had a scar or tattoo on his face. It went down his right eye, and it was purple, matching Sesshomaru again. It started from the middle of his bottom eyelid, and stopped at his jaw line. His light brown skin made his muscles shine.

Kagura crossed her arms inside her kimono sleeves. "Wow, you sure are blunt," she said with a grin. "So you're serious about being mated to the human over there?" she asked while motioning over Naraku with her head. "When? How long?" The anticipation was riding her like a bull. 'Just what will Sesshomaru think?!' As soon as the wedding was over, Sesshomaru couldn't do a thing about getting Rin back.

Jai cracked his knuckles. "Baby and I will have to discuss it later," he said while sending a wink towards Rin's direction. His proposal wasn't a _choice_, it was an order. He was impressed that Rin understood without so much as an argument. "Yes Naraku, this woman is the only thing stopping me from slaughtering the monster that took Suri's life."

He clutched his hand again. "He'll _die_."

'Who?' Rin's eyes widened when she could have sworn she saw water form under his eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked without control of herself, and got two glares from Naraku and Kagura. Even Kanna took some notice to her, even if she was standing at the entrance with her mirror in her hand. And even the boy sitting next to her noticed.

She expected this to be it, she expected this to be her last day on earth, and she expected to be torn to pieces for speaking. She could tell by his attire that he was either wealthy or some sort of lord. She was nothing more than a follower, and getting her own lord to open his mouth to her was a pure miracle.

Guess she was a little _too_ used to it.

Jai continued to stare at her, oblivious as to what everyone in the room was practically gasping at. "Sure, now that I think of it," he said with a friendly smile. He grinned when Rin's eyes widened. "In fact Baby, I feel great now."

Rin only nodded and held Kagome close to her. She had the urge to slap this man at the way he was staring at her. She felt as if she were a scrap of meat. The perfect thing to say was that she wasn't used to the attention, but she wouldn't have believed it. Sesshomaru, Jaken and Ah-Un stared at her, but it wasn't the same, and now she felt as if she were going to be blown to pieces.

She hated it. She hated being treated like this. She hated being known as the one that was thought of as nothing by the man across from her. She wasn't stupid. It was practically written all over his face that he was lonely. And try as she must, she would resist him till the day she would part with this world and become a spirit.

Being taken advantage of was what most girls went through before they were ten years-old in these times. All you had to do was walk somewhere alone where there was a man that had lost his wife to some 'accident'. You stop to see what the matter is, and that's the story. 'At least I had Sesshomaru-sama to protect me for all those years,' she thought with a small smile.

Not anymore.

&&&&&

Rin followed Jai through the snow. It was still cold, but it had gotten slightly warmer, causing the snow to drip from gray trees like it was raining. Even with the little sunshine through the cloudy sky, the entire northern lands looked dead.

She was still carrying Rin, but she had temporarily blocked the child from her mind. She was lifeless when she was sleeping. Trying to wake her to keep the woman entertained hadn't worked, nor tapping her, and she didn't even want to say what came from the child's mouth when she had flicked her nose.

She really _was_ Inuyasha's child.

Letting a small smile cross her, she held Kagome closer to her chest when she started shivering. She couldn't afford to let the half demon fall ill. She had never experienced Sesshomaru sick before, but she had heard the tale of when Kagome had brought 'chocolate' from her time and fed it to Inuyaku when he was three. All she knew was that it didn't turn out well at all.

Looking at Kagome's closed eyelids, she sighed. 'Wake up soon, I can't get through this without you.' She at least wanted one person at her 'wedding' that she knew. Having strangers stare at her was something she was used to, but she was onto the thought that Lord Jai was a demon from his aura, which meant he would have more demons present, which meant hell for her.

She had never been afraid of a demon a day in her life, and even though Jai reminded her of a fuzzy creature from his legs, she still stood strong.

Not really.

Rin gasped when she crashed into something warm, falling flat on her butt on the ground. She immediately noticed the cold feeling, but it felt nice to sit down and relax. Jai hadn't stopped at all that day, unlike Sesshomaru who would stop when she said the word. 'I'm such a brat,' she thought while setting a hand on her cheek.

Her eyes snapped upwards when she heard a chuckle. There stood Jai with his arms crossed against his chest. She wanted to say something to stop him from staring at her, but she couldn't think of anything right away at the moment. He was staring at her like she was a piece of meat again. She hated this feeling more than anything.

She blushed when Jai's leg flexibly moved past her without moving the rest of his body. She felt something grip the back of her kimono and lift her upwards. She soon came to see that it was his leg. He looked like he was wearing a pair of very baggy hakamas, but by his huge feet that were in an oval form with long claws at the top, she was frightened. "Are those-?"

"Of course," Jai said while taking Kagome from Rin's arms. "Why do you seem so shocked to find that I'm an animal?" Continuing on his way through the dead trees, he had about two hours before they were at his castle. "Baby, I wish I could carry you too…"

Rin shook her head. "Coming!" she called while rolling her hands into fists. 'He's just as perverted as Miroku!' she scowled to herself as she walked next to the man. Her eyes didn't leave his legs once. "So this means you're a demon?" she asked. "Are lords of lands only demons?"

Jai laughed, and Rin noticed for the first time that he had a deep voice. "Baby, the lord of the eastern lands was human a hundred years ago…" He looked down to his left, feeling pleasure when Rin cringed. "He _was_ the lord until he was killed by a band of humans."

Rin nodded. A good conversation was hard to start with this man. She had to escape from him. Looking at his long claws and feet, it would be easy to kill her if he wished. 'He looks like he enjoys battle,' she said to herself, watching as muscles flexed as he walked. 'He must think he's such a turn on,' she thought as she stuck her tongue out. A man with muscles was good, but not when the muscles were the size of gigantic rocks.

'Maybe that's just my opinion.' Shaking her head, the woman hoped to block this man out of her mind. She had no interest in him whatsoever, he didn't attract her, he called her _Baby_, and yet she couldn't find the right words to say to tell this man to get a clue. He was blunt, she came to see, as well as totally clueless. 'But wait,' she thought with a smile, 'all men are, so what's there to complain about?'

"Baby, I'm leaving the wedding preparations up to you," Jai said with a grin. "You're going to love it here. I can change the weather with the wave of a finger, you have access to wherever you want in my kingdom, and you can do whatever you want; think of it as a great opportunity." He couldn't wait to have a mate again. 'She's just as beautiful as Suri,' he said to himself with a small blush.

Taking his eyes off her, he looked back and found a small black form walking twenty feet behind him. "Oi! Hurry up!" he ordered. "I'm not sure why Naraku had me tag you along with Rin and I, but that doesn't mean you get to slack off!"

Rin's eyes narrowed at him. Turning back as well, she waited for the young wolf demon to catch up with she and Jai. She gave him a look over when he caught up. He was about Kagome's age, had pretty blue eyes that stuck out from his dark hair, and tanned skin. Though he was at least four inches taller than the half demon in Jai's arms, he looked just as innocent.

Getting down on a knee, she held her hand out to him. "What's your name?" She ignored Jai who snorted and continued on his way. 'He's so shy,' she said to herself as she noticed that his long tail was scrunched like a pig. "It's alright." Taking his hand in her own, she stood and slowly started walking. "My name is Rin."

She looked down at him with a friendly smile, hoping that he would say something back to her. He looked somewhat feminine from the skirt of fur around his waist which she guessed was real. "You're part of the wolf clan, Koga's son, aren't you?" His hair was another giveaway. It went down to his shoulders and was worn down.

The boy only nodded. "…Kola," he said with a small smile. "My name's Kola." Gripping Rin's hand for the first time, both of them continued on their way. "Where are my parents?" he asked with somewhat wide eyes. "I was out playing when a man in a monkey suit came and took me."

Rin sighed. "I'm not sure about your parents, but I'm sure that they're looking for you." She could never turn this boy away. Koga's wolves had killed the villagers of her old village, herself, and probably more people along the way. "So how old are you?"

Kola grinned. "Seven," he said with complete pride, and Rin was starting to see where this boy got his cockiness from. "My older sister thinks that I'm just some little nuisance, but I don't pay much to it."

Rin smiled down at him. "Good to know."

&&&&&

Kagura put a hand on her cheek. 'Can… C-can this be real?' she thought as she felt her face get hotter. 'Lord Jai and Rin left over an hour ago.' Standing from the fire that was nothing more but ashes, she stretched her arms. "It still feels like that wench is still here…"

Kanna looked back at her sister from her place near the entrance of the hut. "You would say something like that," she said in her regular emotionless tone. "Were you not getting along with her?" she curiously asked. "You seem to be happy that she's gone."

Kagura snorted. "Who _wouldn't_?!" she yelled, causing Kanna to flinch. "All that human did was irritate the hell out of me! Why does she care if I have feelings for Sesshomaru or not?!" Folding her arms over her chest, she marched to the entrance, but was stopped by her sister. "Get lost-"

"Maybe it's because she already has feelings."

Kagura's mouth formed into an O shape. She could have sworn that she saw a spark for the first time in Kanna's eyes, as if she cared what she, her younger sister, was going through. "K-… Kanna…" Walking past her, she walked out of the hut to see that it looked as if it had just rained. All the snow was melted, and the flat mountain top had already started growing new grass under the gravel.

She looked back when she heard footsteps behind her, and she smiled down at her older sister. "Kanna…" She got down on a knee, and was pleased to see a bit of emotion in Kanna's face. She was quiet the looker when she chose to open her heart. Her eyes were almost a dark purple color, but still black at the same time.

She shakily set her hand on the head full of white, and ruffled her long hair. "You may be older, more experienced when it comes to pleasing Naraku, and a better person than I, but…" Standing, she pulled out a feather from her hair; her heart was racing. "My matters don't concern you."

And she was gone.

With widened eyes, Kanna looked from side to side. "Kagura?" she called. When she got no answer, she dropped her mirror, unaware that it broke into tons of pieces. "Kagura?" Her purple eyes looked for a large feather desperately.

She fell to her knees and started picking up the broken pieces of glass. "You know that we're a part of Naraku's body," she said to no one as she cut her finger on the glass. "We're not meant to think, we're not meant to talk back." She looked to the sky a second time. "We're not meant to _love_," she said while emphasizing the word.

"We're just _not_; understand this."

&&&&&

As a low growl left Inuyasha's lips, he checked to make sure his pups were truly sleeping. When he got the sound of two separate hearts beating slowly, he stood, wincing at the cracking noise his back made. 'Just what the hell does he want?' he said to himself with a raised eyebrow. Kagome wasn't around, and no one he knew lived near here that would interest Koga...

His eyes narrowed when the scent froze, and he directed his gaze in front of him, past the well, and to the clutter of trees in his forest. "Hope you know I can hear you," he said with a grin. "Now if you don't mind, explain to me why you're here." He had to be protective of his pups even if he was weak. If Koga really wanted to, he could kill he and his kids and take Kagome for himself. 'It's not like I can stop him...'

In the blink of an eye a wolf demon was standing before him, a certain wolf demon that Inuyasha found disgusting. He was mated to Ayame, had two pups of his own, and yet he still had his sick obsession with Kagome after all these years. How Ayame felt about it was also sickening, taken that she had two pups with him.

Koga looked past Inuyasha, hoping to find what he was looking for. His ears seemed to droop when he found that what he was looking for wasn't present. "Where's my pup?" the demon demanded through clenched teeth. "Stealing Kola and killing me so you can have Kagome all to yourself won't work."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You're still as stupid as I thought…" he said under his breath, and got a punch in the stomach as a response. "Jesus! It's not my fault your pup's missing!" He could hear his voice failing him, but he didn't care; he was too broken on the inside. "One of my pups is gone too, so just shut your face and get over it!" Losing one of his children was something he would never let himself forget.

"Koga!"

His light colored eyes narrowed when Ginta and Hakkaku were standing before him as well in a blink of an eye. "Look, I don't have your pup, so take the sidekicks and get outta here." Now he was getting defensive. It was only natural, and Koga was well aware of this.

Koga ignored the half demon's words, and raised an eyebrow when he couldn't sense a holy presence nearby. "Mutt, what'd you do with Kagome?" he asked as he circled himself. "I can't smell her anywhere."

Inuyasha covered his face with his hand. "Which one?" He still blames himself to this day for naming a child the exact name of his wife. It got highly confusing when both of them were together. He still thought it was fair, for his mate got to name Inuyaku and Yuri. His face turned pale when he saw Koga in front of the well.

"You sent her _home_?!"

&&&&&

"Dear, are you hungry?" Mrs Higurashi asked with a smile. She set down a fried egg on a piece of wheat toast. She sat down at her small table in the kitchen, hoping to get her daughter to consume something. "Kagome... please... for me."

Kagome looked at her mother with expressionless eyes. She hadn't eaten, hadn't slept, and hadn't even thought of any of those things since her youngest daughter disappeared. "Mama..." she said in a whisper. She covered her face with her hands and sunk into the wooden chair, almost falling off. "I'm a t-terrible mother..."

Mrs Higurashi sighed. "Kagome, you said the same thing when Inuyaku first fell and hurt himself." Standing, she grabbed Kagome's hand from her face and held it with her own. "I'm your old mother; you're supposed to tell me what's on your mind."

Kagome shook her head. "You'll think I'm a terrible mother too if I-"

"Nonsense," Mrs Higurashi said with a wave of the finger. Pulling Kagome so she was standing, she led the way through the house, stopping to get an umbrella. "Strange weather, no?" she asked as she opened the front door. "It's been raining since you returned home..." She kept telling herself that this had nothing to do with the fact that her daughter was sad about something. "You know, this was your father's favorite kind of weather."

Kagome nodded; she knew exactly where her mother was taking her. The pink umbrella with ducks on it was helpful, but not helpful enough to keep stray raindrops off her body. She liked the feeling. It was cold, exactly how she felt.

She sat next to her mother when they were at their destination: the bench under the sacred tree. The only sounds were the ones of the rain hitting the ground, making a noise like beads falling from a jar. "Mama..." She looked to the right where her mother was seated with a smile on her face. "I-"

"Being a grandmother was something I was looking forward to after you and Sota were born," Mrs Higurashi said with a giggle. "If my children had a question, I'd do my best to help them with it. If they needed advice, I'd also do my best to give it to them." She looked over to Kagome. "Even though I've never been able to meet two of my grandchildren, I still treat them just like I would with Inuyaku." Wrapping her left arm around Kagome's shoulders, she brought her daughter close to her. "Nothing will make me think you're a bad mother."

"But Mama," Kagome's eyes looked to the tree. "…I had Inuyaku when I was eighteen…"

"Does that make you a bad mother?" Mrs Higurashi asked. "No, it makes you irresponsible." She looked to the tree as well. "Inuyasha couldn't have been a better choice," she said with another giggle. "Those ears of his are to _die_ for!"

Kagome felt the tears fall for the third time that day. Sniffling, she wiped her face with her hand. "I don't know what to do." Lifting her head, she looked at her mother. "I-I lost Kagome, Mama." Directing her head down again when her mother's eyes widened, she choked on her saliva. "I don't know what to do with myself…"

"Can't Inuyasha find-"

"That's the thing." Kagome wiped her face a second time. "He was badly hurt and can't go after her until he's healed," she said in a whisper. "And I don't think that's possible since he's already worried enough as it is. The more he worries, the more his healing process slows." He didn't have to say or explain it to her. They were mates; it was easy to read his face, his body, and everything about him.

Parting from her mother, she set her elbows on her thighs, her face in her palms of her hands. "I just want my baby back…" The rain hit her like there was no tomorrow, the need to be dry was blank in her mind. "It hurts me to look at Inuyasha now because of the resemblance." Of course she was mad at him, but she wouldn't have left he and her pups for her own time.

'Maybe the scent I gave off made him feel bad…' she thought with a raised eyebrow. Even with her being the only human in her demonic family, she still knew their customs and preferables. 'That's one reason to send me back.' She looked out into the shrine. 'Maybe Yaku couldn't take the scent either…'

"Ma! You home?!"

Mrs Higurashi chuckled. "Over here, Sota!" she called through the rain. A family reunion was something this family needed. Her son was anxious, her daughter was depressed, her father was somewhere roughhousing, and she was cheerful. She scratched her head. 'Not the best combination, I'm afraid…'

"What are you doing over there?! Is that Kagome with you?!"

Mrs Higurashi's eyes snapped to the entrance of the shrine. "It looks like both of my ungrateful children chose to pay their old mother a visit," she said with a smile, and got glares from them as a reply when Sota caught up. "How's Suri?" Even if she saw her son everyday because he still lived with her, Suri wasn't permitted to be near him nor her. Her family had explained this when they discovered that their only child was pregnant with a shrine owner's infant.

"_Fat_," Sota replied as he sat down next to his sister, taking off his black jacket and putting it over her shoulders. Whenever she came home the first thing he would do is attack her in a bear hug, but he didn't see that happening. For the first time in his life, his sister didn't look that happy to see him. He was going to say something about it, but the look his mother gave him advised him not to speak.

Kagome looked over at her brother. "How's the baby?" she asked with a small smile, and got a smile in return. Her brother was indeed handsome. Sota was a man now, she came to see. He was a twenty year-old man that was going to be a father in a few months. She hated mentioning the part that he was a foot taller than her, as well as ten times stronger. While going to the mall with him, she was the one who looked like the little sister of the pair.

Sota blushed. "I found out the baby's due in late summer…" Folding his arms across his plain white shirt, he leaned into the bench. "Suri's hooked on naming the baby _Jai_ or something like that." Pouting, he leaned on his sister for comfort. "You've got Inuyaku, Yuri and Kagome. I'm not sure about Kagome, but Inuyaku and Yuri sound like demonic names. I wanted to start a tradition or something like that…" He slowly closed his eyes. 'Just like the shrine tradition.' He had been given the shrine once their grandfather started counting his days when he woke up one morning with an aching back.

Looking at the woman, he leaned his cheek on top of her head. "What's up with you?" he asked. "You look so sad…" This was how his sister looked fourteen years ago when she was mad at Inuyasha for something. She came back through the well, and the conversation went as it did now: sitting under the sacred tree.

Kagome shook her head. "Nothing…"

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** Thanks for all of you who answered my question. Everyone went a little out-of-character in this chapter, and no, nothing was accomplished, so don't worry if you think you missed something! Hehe, I know. Anyway, know anymore good animes I can watch? I don't know when I'll be able to update next, but it'll be soon. I have an orchestra concert coming up, and I'm afraid that I accidentally may have dropped my viola down the stairs while trying to carry a glass of milk to my mum…

Center Stage will be updated next.

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	11. Like a Virgin

··12/17/07

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, Sesshomaru rejected me when I gave him a box of ramen, my heart is broken, and my feet are cold. How would you say nicely that I don't own Inuyasha in these conditions? Oh well… be happy and read this chapter with thoughts of Sesshomaru's beautiful face. I know I am!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive…

_Like A Virgin…_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Kanna looked at her left index finger with emotionless eyes. "No blood," she said in her regular tone as she continued picking up the pieces. "I don't bleed." Once she had all the broken fragments in her hands, she noticed that she had more cuts as well. Still no blood.

Standing, she turned and dropped the pieces again.

She managed to raise an eyebrow at the man before her. He was pale, almost her skin color. What was she supposed to do? 'I'm not terrified,' she thought as she noticed that two eyes were looking down at her. She still wasn't terrified when she was grabbed by the kimono and held in the air so she was looking at the face Kagura fancied. "Is there something you want?" she asked as the man put her down.

Satisfied when her bare feet touched the ground, she flattened out her kimono. "The woman you are looking for is not here," she said in her normal tone. "I advise that you do not go after her; you will be killed in your condition." She nodded at his ill looking body. "Return to the western lands."

Sesshomaru sighed and looked at the sky when something touched the top of his head. He was starting to think that the weather was actually getting better, but then it turned on him and started snowing.

Sighing a second time, he watched as everything in his path quickly covered with a not so familiar white substance. It was only natural, for he was from the west and not the north.

He knew right away that the second he stepped into the abundant village that Rin wasn't present, and it was obvious that Kanna knew as well. 'Her scent is still here,' he said to himself as the sky turned gray, letting the blizzard come into complete affect.

Turning, he couldn't catch a glimpse of Rin's scent, which meant that he had to wait until the weather would calm itself.

&&&&&

Rin looked at the mirror that was provided for her in the huge estate of where she was to never leave. Lord Jai had explained this greatly. If she even considered running away or leaving… there would be severe consequences.

She was used to brutal punishment from Jaken while growing up… but this was just out of the question. She didn't like being held in one place for a long period of time. She guessed that it was because she was free to go wherever she wanted when Sesshomaru was around.

She turned away from the mirror and looked at the room that Jai had escorted her to the second they arrived in his castle. She had four walls… four walls to occupy herself with. They were formed in small squares and made of paper.

The room was huge, perhaps the size of a modern time entire bottom half of a house. Rin wasn't used to being indoors; she was used to outside and trees… not this.

"No," she spoke for the first time that day. Once again facing the mirror, she winced at her reflection. Lord Jai's servants had demanded that she be scrubbed from head to toe. She could have done it on her own; the servants weren't gentle. She still had red marks from them scrubbing so hard.

Her face was still healing, but the scar on her right cheek was going to stay. It went across her flesh and stopped next to her lip. She hated it. How this mystery permanent mark appeared on her was a blur.

Next was her attire. She was wearing at least three different kimonos, her hair was in a half ponytail, and makeup was put on her face. "This isn't me…" The Rin most knew was the only woman that didn't mind falling face first in a mud puddle, the one who would climb a tree to get the apple at the top.

"It hurts to breathe," she whispered while watching as her red lips opened and closed in the mirror. She couldn't stand lipstick. 'Or maybe I'm just complaining…' she thought as she balled her hands into fists. She had to learn to stop that. 'I'm on my own now.'

The top layer of her kimono was red, her new favorite color. She knew it was Sesshomaru's as well, and even if she would never see him again, she wanted to keep him close. The one underneath was green, and the one underneath that was light blue. She had never worn this kind of clothing.

She would already be dead if she were with Sesshomaru. The clothing was extremely heavy, and the silk brace that was pink with sakura flowers on it was killing her. She had never looked so thin in her life, and she wanted to tear off the brace from her waist and throw it down a waterfall.

She gasped when the paper door slid opened, causing her to flip around and see a grinning man with what looked like a pink flower in his hand. She was shaking terribly. They were in a room… _alone_… with no one in sight or hearing distance.

She had gotten used to not speaking while around him, the same as he, and she was sure that he was fine with it. She didn't want to say a word to this man at all; never.

Jai chuckled. "My beautiful Rin," his voice rang out through the huge room. "You look as gorgeous as this." Walking up to Rin who was sitting on her futon near the window, he put the pink flower in her hair. "Would you care to take a stroll with me?"

Rejection was such a powerful thing, but Rin couldn't refuse him. He was the lord of the northern lands. Is she supposed to show him… respect? Showing respect came naturally with Sesshomaru, but Jai? She didn't know which to choose. Yes meant that she liked him; no meant that she was looking to be slaughtered. She looked up at him from her place on the floor, her usually light colored eyes dark.

"Yes."

&&&&&

Rin silently followed behind Jai through his castle hallways. There were servants on either ends of her, each stopping to bow in her honor and return to their duties.

Rin watched them with a questionable look on her face. When a servant bowed two steps later, she set a hand on her shoulder and gave her a push in the back, urging her to carry on with what she was doing. 'I'm not royalty or-'

"You're now royalty," Jai's deep voice spoke while turning around to face his fiancée. "Get used to the attention you rightfully deserve," he said with a smile as he turned around, continuing on his way. "I'd like to see how royal you're treated while with that disgusting dog." He grinned, catching the scent of anger off the woman. "None of the servants in this place have the nerve to slap me—and neither should you."

Rin's eyes narrowed. 'How dare he,' she said to herself as she folded her arms across her chest, feeling the silky material of her outer kimono.

She felt her face turn red in anger when Jai grabbed her hand and started pulling, as if he were trying not to say that she was walking slowly. She had been doing this purposely, hoping that he would forget her so she could return to her room and be left alone, or better yet, begin her escape route.

As she let her eyes focus on the back of Jai's head, she smiled lightly. 'The same color hair…' she said to herself as she clutched her left hand. She wished to touch it… she wished to play with it and hope that she would live another day. That was what she prayed while Sesshomaru was sleeping, and even if she thought he knew sometimes that she would mess with him, he was fine with it.

Shaking her head, Rin exhaled deeply. She finally gave her attention to something else that wouldn't make her mind become hazy; the walls did the job. There was a woman on almost every foot of wall space that was painted in the inside bark of trees.

She was beautiful.

Rin's eyes widened at her long brown hair, her light brown skin, her striking blue eyes that brightened her face, and her beautiful garments. 'She must be royal,' she said to herself as she eyed Jai. He was wearing the same colors as her, the same style of blue kimono, only his wasn't tied. 'A relation?'

"Pay no attention to _those_," Jai's voice said as Rin's eyes became wider.

They were outside and standing in front of hundreds of sakura trees. Since when did she get outside? When had the snow melted? And why was it warm?

Grabbing her hand when Jai released it, she tried to wipe the feeling off her skin. "Who was that woman?" she curiously asked as she held her hand out, catching a sakura flower that had fallen in her direction. She clutched it tightly.

"_Lord Sesshomaru," the thirteen year-old said as she looked up at the sky; she knew he was right behind her. It was raining pink, which she found adorable and flattering. "Aren't they pretty?" Turning around, she grabbed her lord's hand and set a delicate flower in it._

_She knew he would never think of something like a flower pretty… but she did. And he knew this, hence his reason not to say anything and look down at her with a plain expression. _

"_Thank you for thinking the same." She could read this man like a book, and before she knew it, she was scooped into his right arm and hustled through the pink vegetation. Of course she knew he came to get her because she had taken too long while out on her own._

"_Your welcome."_

Rin smiled, setting a hand on her cheek to see if this memory was real. 'It is,' she thought as her face turned red. She could feel the sun coming down on her, she could feel her face lightening, and she felt… happy to have thought of her lord that wasn't hers any longer.

"Don't do that!"

The memory was ruined.

Rin blinked a few times, and instantly the snow was falling, the ground was quickly covering with snow, and the sky was gray. Either she had made Jai upset, causing him to cause a storm, or he was concerned… which wasn't likely. This demon hardly knew her.

Her name was going to be about all he got.

She wanted to shout back at him that she hated being yelled at, but that wouldn't do anything from having him pin her against a nearby tree, the frozen flowers coming down like hail. She tried avoiding his dark blue opals, but it was hard not to. She could feel his warm breath on her face.

"You'll make it scar," he said as he put a hand on her right cheek. She could feel him stroke his clawed thumb along the line going across her cheek. She felt her stomach cringe. She didn't like this man this close to her.

Lowering her eyes, she felt him press against her body. "Please let go." She felt his free hand that had her wrists tighten. So he wasn't going to let her go? She felt like informing him that he had made a rule about leaving her quarters… but the time didn't seem right.

Jai only grinned, two sharp teeth hanging out from his mouth. "And why should I, my mate?" he purred out in the woman's ear with a raised eyebrow as he pressed his body closer to her own. "Everyone in the castle knows that we're going to be _mated_." He looked behind him, satisfied when the door to the castle didn't open nor stir. "Hence the reason why they're gone."

Rin silently gasped and tried to push him back. He only got closer, making her heart race faster and faster. She knew what the word mate meant. "You can't-"

"Oh yes I can, Baby," Jai said with a roll of the tongue, getting even closer so his chest was pressed against hers. He sighed when she looked away from him. "Don't tell me that you're regretting the decision I made?"

Rin's head snapped his direction, her eyes narrowed and red, her face flustered. "Lord Jai," she said while pushing as hard as she could, satisfied when he bounced off her an inch. "The decision _you_ made was for the best, yes?" she repeated after him.

Jai dipped his head down, capturing Rin's neck within his mouth. His tongue stroked her cold skin, instantly warming it. "_Mmm_," he mumbled in his throat.

Rin snapped her eyes shut. That was it; her sanity level had just gone over the top. Forcefully pushing him back with all the strength she had from little sleep and no food, she felt better when he landed on the cold snow with a loud thumping sound.

"_**DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN**_!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, and instantly she closed her mouth. She must have caught something, for the next thing she knew her throat hurt.

She started to walk away, anywhere but near the man that wished to take something from her that she was saving, but that didn't stop him from grabbing her foot by surprise and slamming her body onto the snow.

She saw nothing but gray, but that was replaced with a head full of white. "_**GET OFF**_!!" she yelled again, but this time her wrists were caught again, and Jai had forcefully ripped off her kimono brace, the material coming down to the ground in shreds.

She squirmed and kicked him with her knees like no tomorrow… tears streaming from her eyes. The only other male person to see her naked was Ah-Un, but this was different. The friendly demon _always_ watched her, even while bathing. She never knew if Ah-Un was fully male, half male and half female, or fully female.

"Jesus!" Jai yelled, but not as loud as Rin. His hand maneuvered with the silk knot that tied the green kimono to the red one. Getting tired and slashing it apart with his black claws, he had two more layers left. "Stop your damn poignance!"

Rin didn't know how she got a hand free, and when she did, she used it like no tomorrow. She could feel her clothing coming off quickly. She had nothing to look at. She prepared herself, and slammed her hand across Jai's cheek; she got blood in return. "_There's_ your nerve!"

Agitated when Rin continued to kick him, Jai clutched a fist… and knocked her out.

&&&&&

Inuyasha watched with bored eyes as the green toad paced back and forth before him. The thing had been following him around since he had found it and the two-headed monster in front of the well that morning.

"Old man?"

Inuyasha's eyes looked down to his left, and he smiled at his eldest pup. "What's up?" he asked as he leaned on the side of the well with his back, Tetsaiga at his side. Running a hand through his sleeping daughter's silver hair, he adjusted her small body in his lap.

Inuyaku prepared to stand. He had been sitting next to his father for several minutes, hoping to be recognized or noticed. "If you're busy or-"

"It's fine."

The young hanyou continued to watch as a vein popped out of his father's forehead. There was a green toad stalking in front of him, a sobbing Koga to his right, his sleeping daughter in his lap, and to top it off, _he_ wanted to talk to his father. "No, that's-" He paused. "I mean… I can wait."

Inuyasha looked at his son with a raised eyebrow. "Sit," he said while patting the spot to his side, and when the half demon sat, he continued to stare forward. "Now what is it you were trying to say?" he asked with a tired smile.

Inuyaku nodded. "Old man…" he said while looking down at his hands in his lap. "You haven't slept in days," he said, trying to change the subject, but got caught quickly. He sighed in defeat.

"It's just that… Mom…" He felt the painful stinging sensation come over him that he had been trying to avoid since he threw his mother out of the past. "It's been two days." He was now against sending his mother down the well. He missed her, just like Yuri who would only cry like a newborn during the day and cling to their father for support.

"Yeah! Listen to the _smart_ mutt!"

Both of their eyes snapped to their right, and met a pair of blue eyes that were glaring at them. Koga had been sobbing over his lost daughter for almost three days. He hadn't returned home, he hadn't slept, and he hadn't stopped talking.

Inuyasha looked unfazed and ignored the wolf demon. The tree was still in the well, he could smell her tears like nickateen from her time, and he hadn't been able to sleep because of it. He could sense her, as if she was close, but in real life she was sitting on the bench in her time… near the tree. 'Exactly where I am now,' he thought as he resumed stroking Yuri's hair. He knew that he was drawn to her, the reason why he couldn't go very far from the well.

"You were saying something about your mom?" he said with a smile. "Get over it," was the best he could come up with, and when he got a glare from Koga and Inuyaku, he sighed. "Look, I've known her longer than both of you, so _get over it_."

Inuyaku could only nod at the person he was supposed to look up to. "Fair enough," he said as he leaned against the well as well, putting his hands behind his head and staring at the clouds. "Hey," he said without control of himself.

"How do you think Kagome's doing?"

"Kagome?" Jaken stopped mid-sentence. "Who cares how your _**KAGOME'S**_ doing?! Have you all forgotten that my lord has gone to fetch her, as well as the wench Rin?!" he shouted, his invisible eyebrows furrowing. "You should rephrase that question!"

Inuyasha once again ignored the toad, and felt satisfied when the two-headed demon picked him up by the head and carried him off the side to sit under the shade of a tree. 'Dammit,' he said to himself. He could feel his body breaking. 'I haven't healed _at all_ since that damn explosion.' All the stress did nothing but bring him down in his healing process. His little girl was gone, but he had to keep his spirits high.

"I think she's fine."

&&&&&

"I'm sure that she can be reasoned with," Naraku said while looking down at the woman that was covered in nothing but the outer kimono that had been provided for her. He felt no sympathy as she lay down on the cold ground that was covering with snow by the second by the temperamental demon.

Jai looked down at Rin and kicked her in the ribs, watching as blood fell from the corners of her mouth, but she didn't waken from her stir. And so he kicked her again until he could kick no more, and when he was sure she was bruised, he bent down and dressed her in the kimono.

"I won't marry a woman that put her hands up to me," he said aggressively as he gave up on her brace and slashed it with his claws, making something that looked like a belt. He adjusted it on her and swung her body over his shoulder. "She can take that damn _half demon_ and wolf with her."

His deadly narrowed eyes looked to the side near a tree when he heard a gasp. "You heard me half demon!" he shouted. "There's a damn good possibility that there's one of _**YOU**_ inside this woman right now!" he said while inhaling the air, and he was correct when it was Kola and Kagome.

Naraku stood before the demon. "What about the lord of the western lands?" he said with narrowed eyes as well. "Our negotiation was that you would keep him from here until I had all the shards in my procession." He had tried getting the ones from Rin while she was unconscious. 'She's a miko,' he turned around at the now visible Kola and Kagome. 'The hanyou as well.'

Jai growled and moved past him, walking through his grounds quickly. Instinctively all the maids in the foyer got out of his way, as well as anyone else. The snow was coming down fast, and the more upset he found himself getting, the more he made the snow come down in hail, making it difficult to maneuver, but he still went to his destination through the frozen flowers of the front of the castle.

Naraku followed, as well as Kola and Kagome.

Jai stopped his clawed feet outside of the foot of the main town, and it immediately became quiet. He slashed a woman to smithereens with a lift of the hand for getting too close to him. "I'm getting rid of this impure one," he said while lifting Rin over his shoulder harshly.

He could hardly see through his storm, but that didn't stop him from parading savagely through his huge territory full of humans all over, and kicking an old hut door down when he got to the bad area which was full of poverty.

It was an old bar.

Jai through the woman down on the dirt floor where men urinated when they had to go. He felt nothing for her any longer. 'A woman doesn't betray me and get away with it,' he said to himself while looking down at her with his dark blue eyes.

Feeling that he should leave Rin something, a spark of creativity came over him. He flexed his black clawed finger and slowly drew it over the woman's right cheek, forming an X of impurity.

He gave his attention to the men that were scared out of their minds. Sake was dropped on the floor, faces were an unusual pale, and all colored eyes looked down at the woman that had been thrown before them with devilish looks that he thought she deserved.

"If you want her, _take_ her."

&&&&&

Sesshomaru silently looked with tired eyes through the burnt village, hoping to find the white girl that had disappeared from him several hours ago. His senses had completely left him, and he was starting to wonder if humans always felt this defenseless against all obstacles.

Nothing seemed right at this point. He was healing extremely slowly for some reason, the cold was actually getting to him, and a feel of loneliness was coming over him when there wasn't a green toad and a monster following him.

He never had to worry about Rin.

She had the right to travel wherever she wanted, but as long as she was near him would he be alright with it. He learned that as she got older that she needed her space to do whatever it was she did with her free time.

As he walked through the frozen over village, he had started to realize that the estate was burnt to the crisp—there wasn't a thing that looked normal. Everything was burnt, there were no humans around, and yet he could smell a small trace of them. 'But it's still covered with something burnt.'

He shook his head at the scent coming over him. 'Blood…' he thought as he looked down at his hand. He had never not killed something in such a long time. The blood stench that he smelled was burnt as well, and his instincts were full of curiosity.

Making his way through the stump shaped mountain, he passed ashes of what he guessed were huts, a skull that he found interesting, and some of the villager's clothing that he guessed were on the bodies when they burnt to death.

He stopped mid-step when he detected a small demonic presence.

At a corner of the mountain was Kanna, sitting on the edge of the mountain, the snow falling on her that had started covering the vacant village for the thousandth time that day. In his perspective it was as if someone was setting the snow upon him and him only. 'I've already lost feeling,' he thought as he lifted his hands before him. His fingertips were a faded purple.

As he came to get closer, about four feet behind her, he heard Kanna whisper something into the mirror that had magically reformed itself in her hands. Getting even closer, his eyes narrowed when he caught a glimpse of wavy black hair in the image. He became quiet, trying to fight the instinctively low growl forming inside him.

Kanna, unknowing that the youkai was behind her, continued to whisper to her master. "Naraku," she said while looking into the mirror. "You cannot get rid of the human like that—her lord will go mad." She emphasized the word to prove her point.

"Kanna, what ever do you mean by that?"

Kanna looked out into the gray horizon. The snow was falling on her shoulders and the tip of her nose by then. "Why is he giving the woman away?" she asked. "It will affect the dog youkai." She let her attention go to her mirror. "…He is here." She watched as her master's head cocked to the side, as if his heart had skipped a beat, but then he regained his composure and deeply laughed.

Naraku shook his head. "Perfect," he said while laughing again. "Inform him that Lord Jai has just sold his mate-of-no-more to a random man that's planning on taking her to his estate." He waited for Kanna to nod. "What the man does with her is beyond my control." His plan was already ruined when Jai sold Rin, so he had no more options to turn to.

Kanna nodded. "Why did he send her away?" she asked while noticing that the clouds were turning an even deeper gray than when they had originally been. "This is not going to go well with the others, and you have not gotten the shards from the human." It was typical of Naraku to not think through his plans.

Naraku nodded. "I know, and make sure to inform Kagura to discontinue what she was doing."

And then he was gone, without a word of departure, and Kanna set her mirror down in her lap, doing her best to recuperate from having to carry Kagome all this way still. Her body was small and frail; it was usually Kagura that did the physical things on their missions.

The small doll stood. She noticed that there was a foot of snow covering the abundant mountain top. As she turned around, she didn't seem fazed at all that there was a man glaring down at her with red colored eyes, his pupils nowhere in sight. 'I notified Kagura of this when he is going to kill.'

She soon noticed that the demon was becoming thicker, as if a fur quilt had covered his body. Still unaffected, she watched as he gripped his arm in his right hand tightly, as if he were trying to make a huge decision. 'The woman or the arm,' she thought as he slowly slipped it up his left sleeve. She watched as a red aura came over his arm, and then it settled when his knuckles cracked.

She heard him growl deeply as he reconnected his body part. "I see," she said while maneuvering past him and walked to the nearest hut, checking inside it for her younger sister. "Your body is more important." This was something she knew was going to happen. Demons weren't meant to chase humans, they were meant to destroy and cause destruction, such as his name.

He was transforming.

&&&&&

**Bri Note-** Started working on redoing chapter nine, so it's all good now. Happy holidays and Meri Kuri out there. As for all of you that keep asking if I'm alright, fine, and all of the above, thanks for the support… but no, I'm not. Thank Kami that winter break is this Friday; I can't wait to watch _something_ about Sesshomaru. Questions or comment regarding what happened? Come on, I know there's at least _one_ that's tingling in your tummies! Sorry, but I won't be replying with the answers until… let's say… later? _BoA: Meri Kuri._ You should tune into it, it's a beautiful holiday song.

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	12. Three’s a Crowd

··1/26/08

**Disclaimer: **There's not much to say here. I haven't updated in nearly two months, I'm sick, I just broke a nail, and Sesshomaru still isn't mine. Sorry kiddos, but… this sucks! Anywho, I'm currently IN LOVE with the song Uptown Girl by Billy Joel, and I feel a lot better. Chapter nine still needs to be redone, so… be happy! I hope to hit 200!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive…

_Three's a Crowd_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

Sesshomaru let out a grunt as he fell to his knees. He had never experienced this much determination in his entire life. As terrible as he was to admit it, but this feeling was better than the thoughts of imagining Inuyasha's blood in his claws all those years ago. That wonderful red substance that all demons lingered about for…

No.

This was different.

He felt his blood become tainted, become _black_, and it was rushing through his veins so fast that his heart was pounding so hard that his sensitive ears could hear it clearly.

His vision became sharper, and looking down at his hands, they were quickly covering themselves with the familiar fur that he still remembered to this day, as well as his claws that were turning dark purple. He pictured the day he could transform after having his arm cut off as one thing: supreme conquest.

"_Supreme conquest…"_

He remembered those exact words leaving his father's mouth so many years ago that it was as if he had heard them the day before. Nothing would rid of them. Supreme conquest was what he had been searching for since the day he was born. He had it several times, but they all ended with him empty handed, and he was through with defeat.

But something was not right about this; something was getting in his way. 'That face,' he thought as his eyes snapped shut. 'Her… face.' He could see the face that he hadn't seen in hardly a week. Would she be upset? Disappointed in the one who had raised her? 'Rin…'

This was of no such victory whatsoever, and his eyes snapped up when he heard feet moving away from him. 'Rin…' He had come all this way for her, and he was—right then—transforming into something that could potentially kill her in the future—but this was what he had wanted all along.

'_Rin_…'

His eyes became a bloodshot red as he leapt off the ground and grabbed Kanna by the throat. This was it. His first kill in his true form; a day like this wasn't meant to be experienced in the cold and in the middle of nowhere, but he could smell it inside her: the thing that drove his senses insane and caused him to kill everything in his path.

This was a secret. He only referred to his true form when it was absolutely necessary. He favoured his true form more, but in his human form he was more… _stable_. Transforming into a dog the size of a twenty-seven story building in the present time caused everything in his body to go haywire, making the need to kill extreme, and he tightened his claw around his grip on Kanna: her neck.

He couldn't think that she could be any more clueless when her tiny hands wrapped around his fingers, trying to pull them off. He couldn't hear much from her gulping breaths, but the need to hear more of them made him squeeze her neck tighter.

"Foolish… _monster_," Kanna sneered with a gulp. "I… have… no blood that… you're after."

Lies.

He could smell it… that wonderful substance inside her body that he was craving for. 'I don't eat human food.' This was still as true as it was twelve years ago when he refused the fish Rin had nicely given him when he had gotten hurt. 'Blood…'

He watched as Kanna's face began to erupt in a reddish shade, and the demon smirked. Naraku's blood was in her body; she was simply a doll that processed some of it inside her veins… but very little. Naraku's blood made her move, Naraku's blood made Kanna move—_his_ blood made all of them that he had created come to life.

Growling, he grabbed the girl and held her before him, noticing that her eyes were already rolled to the back of her head without him even doing anything too rational. Her red veins in her eyes made the need to kill her stronger. 'She's weak.'

Then it hit him.

He sniffed her and scoffled before tossing her down. He would rather die than devour the blood of a half demon. It was the same as saying that he ate his niece. Kagome was a part of him, and he simply couldn't do that. But he still watched the doll on the ground. He watched as her black colored eyes stared at the sky as it snowed, and her face took minutes to return to its usual white shade.

His own eyes widened when his head was tipped upwards and he let out a howl. 'I'm taking so long to transform…' he thought while falling to his knees a second time. He was simply too weak to do this—to become his true self. He had to admit that he was in fact possessed. He felt his anger die down, and his body slowly began returning to normal. 'The need to take blood is getting the better of-'

"KANNA!!"

Snapping his head upwards from the snow covered ground, his eyes narrowed at the demon that was knelt before the doll on the ground. 'Why is…' He winced at how pathetically weak he was, and he put a claw on the side of his face. 'She's here?' He watched with intensity as the woman reached into her hair, pulling out a feather, and instantly it transformed. 'She's…' And then the feather was in the air, high out of his reach with Kanna on it.

He took a step back when Kagura took one closer to him. He didn't understand. She didn't look all-powerful like she normally did. Her hair was let down, her first kimono was around Kanna, and she had her fan positioned to the side. He noticed that swirls of wind were already around it. 'She's going to attack,' he thought while looking up. The woman's feather was high in the air, at least fifty feet, so he had no options to slice the girl to shreds and kill her. He couldn't help it. This had happened with Inuyasha as well: once he has a target, he goes with it, even if it has very little blood within it. It was hardly there… but he could smell it.

Kagura watched as the demon's demonic hair disappeared from his body with every blink. 'He's reverting back,' she thought while taking another step closer, her widened red eyes full of shock. The demon had nowhere to go because he was at the end of the cliff. One bad step and he would fall to the ground and smash into massive rocks.

She took another step closer, and another, until the two demons were a mere three feet away. Her cheeks turned red, and she hid her eyes with her bangs… then one of her first tears dripped down her face. "I-" She paused and snapped her head up, her crimson colored eyes full of no forgiveness. "I… _you_," she spoke while clutching her fan that was in her right hand.

Her hair blew over half of her face, as well as his own, and she listened to his heart with her keen hearing. It was loud, so loud that it sounded like it was knocking on wood. "Is she that important to you?" she said while positioning her fan to her side, ready to strike at the slightest move. She was still alert even if the man she was in love with wasn't moving an inch.

Perhaps he hadn't heard her. "IS SHE—THAT **WOMAN**—_THAT_ IMPORTANT TO YOU?!"

Her eyes widened with shock and lost their natural color, replacing the crimson with a shade of black. "Sess… Sesshomaru…" She quietly got closer to him, and another step was all it took for the demon to step out of his trance he had gone into by her few words. She had seen the shock in his eyes; she had seen it clearly. Right now his eyes were glimmering like she had never seen, quietly looking to the side and trying to think. "You…" She didn't know what to say.

Stepping back two steps, another tear streamed down her cheek. "You truly, _deeply_, care for that woman." She used her free hand to cover her mouth. She didn't understand.

She never would.

Kagura remembered the first time she met him. She remembered the first time she thought of using him to kill Naraku. She couldn't help but think it was wrong to take advantage of a person… a _demon_… but she was just _that_ desperate. So she soon started to fall for him as they crossed the other's path over the years.

She fell for his everything: his hair, his towering body… his everything. She would betray Naraku's orders at any moment just to see his face. She would hide behind trees with him aware that she was there… and just watch him. His view and grace was all any woman would need. And when she said any, she meant it.

There was someone in the way.

'Is that so…' the woman thought while slowly lowering her hand from her mouth. Of course she was right. She would love to have this man chasing after her, wanting to return her to where she came from, her home, but he wasn't, and this was reality. The man before her was chasing after someone else, wanting to return her to where she came from, her home, and this was reality also. But it was her choice whether to go by this.

Her eyes slowly looked up at the extremely tall demon. 'I never will understand,' she said to herself while taking another step closer. The two were only a foot apart, and getting closer was out of the question with them already seeming to get close by the snow falling at their feet.

She didn't know what to say to him, causing her to hold her fan out before her in a fighting stance. "I will never understand you," she said with narrowed eyes. "I have tried over the years, I deeply have-" She saw him move slightly, and she knew she had his attention. "But I have given up."

Sesshomaru stared down at her with an emotionless face. He couldn't smell a trace of her scent at all…

Kagura closed her eyes tight, tears streaking loose from them as she made small whirlwinds appear around her green fan. "That woman—that human—obviously means a great deal to you if you're going through all the inconvenient things you're going through to retrieve her," she spoke sternly. "I'm afraid that I'm going to stop you now."

She gave a small grin through her teary eyed face. It wasn't much, but you could tell that it was there. "Determination is something I prove I have," she said with narrowed eyes. "Determination makes me obey Naraku's every-"

That was all it took for Sesshomaru's nails to turn yellow, striking the woman just as she slashed her fan at him and yelled a spell. He did feel her attack even if he had caught her off guard, and he fell to his knees, his wounds reopening yet again.

This Kagura was a fake.

He watched intensively as Kagura fell to the ground, a white light appearing around her body as it disintegrated into ashes and pieces of dirt. She was fake, which meant that she was sent to stall him for some reason, and he had let her do so. 'I should have known better,' he managed to scowl as he looked down at his body.

Sesshomaru's eyes looked to the snowy sky for a huge feather, and he found it, about half a mile away. 'She tricked me,' he thought while wrapping an arm around his waist, forcing his body to stand frailly. He had wasted time; something could be happening to Rin this very moment, and all he could think of was blood and the doll made of dirt on the ground.

He felt his blood start to boil, but kept it low as he began making his way down the mountain.

&&&&&

"Myoga, just what in the hell are you doing?" Totosai asked irritably as the flea shivered on his right shoulder. "I don't have a clue why you tagged along with me to disobey Inuyasha's orders and search for his pup if you're going to cower in fear of getting mysteriously killed by the master when we return."

Myoga's big eyes looked the elderly man in fear. "You sure are graphical…" he said under his breath while looking down at the bluish trees of the freezing northern lands. "Can you sense the presence of one of our lords?" He felt the giant cow freeze in midair as he asked his question.

Totosai exhaled deeply. "I was afraid you were going to say that sooner or later…" The two and his cow had been searching for Kagome for about three days now. Totosai had originally been in the area to swipe a fang from a leopard demon's mouth in the area, and that's where he ran into Myoga who had been perched in Inuyasha's hair the entire time since the disappearance.

He knew about the explosion, he knew his master wasn't healing, and he knew that the elder youkai brother wasn't healing either. 'Those two are exactly the same,' he thought while shaking his head. 'They're just like their father—believe it or not.'

"It's Lord Sesshomaru all right," Myoga said with a devilish grin, knocking Totosai out of his thoughts. "I think I'll tag along with him and get praise from Master Inuyasha for finding Kagome!"

Looking back and forth from the cow flying in the air and to the coldness of below, he didn't think twice as he hopped off Totosai's shoulder. "SUCKER!"

He fell extremely slow, and only made it to Totosai's hand before he was crushed within it. "Hey! Get your hands off me!!" His small size made it harder to escape.

Totosai held Myoga with his thumb and index finger in front of his face. "Just what in the hell are you doing?" he asked a second time. "You think someone as impatient as _Sesshomaru_ has the time to look after you?" Now that he thought of it… having Sesshomaru looked after the flea wasn't that much of a bad idea.

He tossed him over his shoulder like salt in the present.

&&&&&

"SESSHOMARU!!" Kagura's eyes snapped open and she set a hand over where her heart should be. Even though it wasn't there, she could feel it pounding.

'What a weird dream…' She shook her head and scowled. 'It'll never happen though. I mean, me looking like that just for him…' Now that she thought of it, she felt different for some reason, as if her troubles had been taken away. 'Usually talking to Kanna does that…'

Kagura sighed in boredom as she overlooked the village where Rin and the two demons were being kept at. They had arrived on a wagon several hours ago, and she hadn't seen anyone leave the huge estate where they were being kept since then. 'Only a little girl to fetch water,' she thought with disgust. Her final aspect of this mission was to make sure Sesshomaru didn't get near Rin.

"Because those are _Naraku's_ orders," she repeated for the seventh time, and let another sigh leave her blue lips.

She wasn't sure where Kanna was, and she would have left the cave in the mountain hours ago to search for her, but she had to obey these last orders. She got lonely faster without her older sister around to give her advice about keeping her heart sealed and in Naraku's hands where it belonged.

"As quiet as you are," she said while lowering her head to her lap. In it was her regular fan that she always used. "You have the tendency to listen to what I have to say," she finished while leaning against the wall of the cave, making sure that she was looking down at the village.

She didn't know whether to call it a village or famous estate. It was a huge seemingly building made into the shape of a square. It was huge, several floors off the ground. But that was the thing. It was the only thing there besides a small pond to the side and its location was off her charts of information. She had to follow the man who had taken custody of Rin in the air to keep up.

"Where you been?" Kagura asked while slowly closing her eyes, figuring that a short nap wouldn't do much in making progress. "Hopefully your injuries aren't that bad?" She could detect the feeling of pain in her older sister's body, and she opened her eyes with shock. Kanna was wearing her first kimono…

"I am fine," Kanna said while sitting across from her sister so she too could look out at the village in the center of a valley. It was the same as any other location. It was in the middle of nowhere actually, and had a frozen waterfall not too far away, which was where they were, in the mountains. 'If that demon is that determined to get that human,' she thought while clutching her small hand into a fist. 'He'll go through the inevitable to get to her.' She set a hand on her chest. 'I almost did not make it away…'

She looked over at her sister who looked to be taking a nap. 'Younger sister has had feelings for that demon for so long,' she said to herself while slowly shaking her head. 'Naraku cannot have that, and neither can I.' She had been close to using the clone to confess its feelings to Sesshomaru to put the demon on hold, but she was already far enough.

'That demon was actually listening,' she thought with realization. 'He's quite good at that.' A man that listens is something that most human women look forward to. She wasn't sure if this was true, but she had heard things such as these while traveling with Kagura to villages in the past.

She nodded her head, understanding quickly. "Younger sister," she called across from her in a whisper, and when Kagura looked up, her red eyes full of interest, she shook her head. "If I did something to affect your relationship, please do not stop talking to me," she said quietly. "Naraku may have power over us, but I think you should tell that youkai your feelings."

Kagura's eyes could only be described as wide, and she gulped. "That's ridiculous!" she said, completely unaware that her sister had used a clone to make herself confess half of her feelings for the demon already. "I couldn't _possibly_ when all he can think about is that wench!" she said with a snarl. "This is why I'm going to make up a plan of some sort to kill her in my dreams so that I can't get my heart ripped out and-"

"Now you are talking childishly," Kanna informed.

Kagura nodded her head. "Indeed I am," she said with a small smile. "Kanna, that woman was somewhat right," she said with a pointed finger. "How can you go all these years without having feelings for _anyone_ of the matter?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. She and her sister didn't have regular conversations on a basis. In fact, she was taking advantage of the opportunity.

Kanna sighed softly. "Sister," she began, "I was given the heart and soul of a child, so I am completely unaware of what you are speaking of," she informed quietly. "That human is going through the same thing you are."

Kagura stuck her tongue out. "It's obvious that I'm better suited for him," she said with a grin. "I'm pretty sure I know everything these is to know about someone that's mute all the time, and I've had so many encounters with him…"

"Without any clothes," Kanna put in.

Kagura's grin widened.

"Of course."

She folded her arms across her chest and blew a puff of air so her bangs lifted. "It's obvious that to this day that I, a woman older than her, looks better."

Kanna nodded.

&&&&&

"I don't have time for that…" Sesshomaru said while continuing to push his body through the lifeless forest as fast as he could. He, to this hour, had no idea where he was going, but he had a lead from Myoga that he and Totosai had passed Lord Jai's castle was all he had to look to. Completely defenseless, he was on his way.

"Of course you do!" Myoga said from his perch on a lock of Sesshomaru's hair hanging on the left side of his face. He held onto the end of it, bouncing about as Sesshomaru's long paces caught up with him. "The least you can do is stop to look at your wounds!" the flea encouraged. "You are exactly the same as your father! I advise that you _wait_ to rescue the woman and tend to yourself!!"

Sesshomaru pushed his legs faster, not bothering to listen to anything the nuisance was saying. "You think I have the time to stop and care for myself when I'm trying to stop myself from transforming into a blood thirsty _monster_ more than once in a day?" he gritted between his teeth, and he felt satisfied when Myoga said nothing. In fact, he turned white.

_Silence_…

He wondered how long it'd last.

"_PLEASE_ MY LORD!!" Myoga pleaded. "You're going down the exact path you father went down, and I don't think you remembered clearly, but…" He paused and gulped. "He lost his life because of it." Still the dog demon didn't stop. "Lord Sesshomaru, Inuyasha isn't suitable to become lord of the western lands! You and I both know that having a hanyou lord will only cause destruction!" Still nothing. "You must stop!"

He sighed when the demon only walked faster. "You take after your mother when it comes to your looks, but you and your father are exactly alike…" he said under his breath. "And look at me," he said while looking to the sky. 'I was with his father when he died, and now the son is doing the same thing, charging after a woman with blood seeping through his body.'

The flea got his hopes to stopping Sesshomaru back up. "But what about Lady Rin?! Are you possibly thinking of leaving her alone in this world with a toad and her pet?!"

Sesshomaru stopped mid-step.

"My lord, think about this," Myoga eased. "If you die… if you truly _care_…" Myoga grinned when he got his master's attention when his eyes widened. "You'll turn around and return to the western lands, recoup, and _then_ continue to retrieve your Rin and niece!"

Sesshomaru could only look down at the flea that had been passed down to his younger brother. 'This thing is so annoying,' he thought as he slowly continued, matching the pace of a regular human. "Your ways of manipulating me are a waste." He looked ahead of him. He had seen nothing but trees for hours. "Nothing's going to stop me now."

_He managed to look through the forest frantically as the sun quickly went down. A new fear for Rin was being discovered from the darkness of his black hole within him. He cared for her, he knew he did._

"_Where is she…" he spoke harshly while looking to the sky. It was a mixture of orange and red, the colors he didn't wish to see. Having Rin lost in a forest and alone didn't go very well together in his head. He was of the opposite sex of her, and even things he shouldn't be thinking went through his mind when he thought of Rin alone._

_He searched for her for about two more minutes, then felt satisfied when he saw her seated on the edge of a hill. From his perch behind her he could tell what excuse was coming. 'She got lost in the sunset,' he thought as he slowly sat next to her, careful not to disturb her._

"_Isn't it beautiful up here?" she asked while looking over at him._

_He stared at her as well, and said nothing. He almost never said a word around her, but she always knew he was listening. He came to see that she talked quite a great deal when there wasn't someone interrupting her at the end of every sentence. The more he listened, the more he came to see that she had a lot to say._

_He looked out into the horizon when she looked to her left, looking him square in the face. He liked her like this, but they both knew that he would kill himself if he were to admit it. So he kept quiet and slowly looked down at her._

"_You're late," was all he said, and he watched as her face turned red, her eyes widened, and she bit her bottom lip. He liked her like this, shocked and unaware where she was. This eighteen year-old was still as innocent as she was all those years ago, and she always would be._

"_It's good that I have Lord Sesshomaru around, don't you think?" she said with a smile as she stood. She stretched her arms and shoved her hands into her kimono sleeves. "You are always around to find me."_

_He nodded._

_Rin looked down at her feet, causing the demon to stand and start leading the way back to their campsite. "Will you promise to always come find me? Even if I'm upset?" She paused, and he turned to face her, looking down at her and ushering for her to finish her statement. _

"_You always listen."_

"It's impossible! It's too risky! Please reconsider!" Myoga pleaded with all his heart. The western lands simply weren't ready for a new leader, and he was positive that Inuyasha himself was aware of this. He had just finished settling down. He had a family, and so did Sesshomaru, though his was rather unstable. "You have yet to heal from the wounds you received in the battle from the snake demon!"

Sesshomaru stared ahead of him and stopped walking. 'I can sense that bastard,' he thought through Myoga's words that he was still saying. 'I'll find you, I promise,' he thought while wrapping his right hand around the handle of the sword hanging on his left hip.

"I can't."

Myoga raised an eyebrow. "Ne?" he said while hopping from the lock of hair and onto the demon's left shoulder. He had to get around to asking why he had his arm returned to his body. "You said something?" What Sesshomaru had said was quiet, almost as if he didn't want what he had said to be heard. 'Just like his father.'

"I can't let him—_anyone_—kill Rin."

"I'm sorry to say that she isn't in my care anymore."

Myoga's eyes widened as he was flicked off Sesshomaru's shoulder and landed on his rear as he hit the ground. After rubbing it for several minutes, he came to see that a third demon had joined their conversation. All he could do was gulp.

Lord Jai.

&&&&&

**Bri Note:** Hello there! So… confused much? Remember I have a reason for everything, even the disguise Kanna had, so chill! I'm so sorry! You see, I'll carry on from where I left off. Well, I had this thing, and then there was this thing that got in the way, and then, OOH, there was this _extreme_ thing that stopped me from doing _this_ thing. Anywho, enough excuses! I'm lazy. L-A-Z-Y. Please review! I just realized that 32 of you like this story, so I'm hoping to know what you like about it…

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	13. Over the River and Through the Woods…

··2/25/08

**Disclaimer:** No ownership… persaé. Anywho, read this chapter and tell me what you think. I hope that the ending's what you've been waiting for! I know it's been a long ride, but the next chapter will solve everything and you'll stop throwing tomatoes at me! Oh, and I hit my lucky 200!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

_Over the River and Through the Woods…_

_by Brijustme_

&&&&&

He could hear someone calling out to him; he could hear someone saying his name repeatedly. At first he chose to ignore them, but then the calls got louder, and he even felt a tapping feeling on his left shoulder.

His entire body was frozen, and his heart was pounding quickly. This was new to a powerful demon.

'Was I…' Sesshomaru tried opening his eyes, but he found that his eyelids were glued together for some reason. After trying for a few minutes, he got them open. He was staring strait at a white substance that was cold. Snow.

He remembered that word that Rin always referred to when she was younger. She always talked about it when she would wake up in the morning. '…Dreaming?'

He couldn't remember the last time, or the first time, that he had ever dreamt of something in his entire life. He wasn't that old, but he just couldn't picture himself dreaming at all. What confused him the most was that so many people had been in his dream; so many people that he hated had been in his dream.

Slowly closing his eyes to rid his sight of the snow, he exhaled deeply, a long shiver leaving him afterward. He wasn't sure where he was, but he was laid out on the ground with snow covering his entire body with pain throughout him. He was on his stomach, which made the pain of the snake poison still in his body beg to come out and take over him, resulting in more pain.

"Sesshomaru? Dammit… don't tell me that another member of the powerful family is dead?"

His eyes opened again. 'That voice…' he managed to think to himself as he sat up, his body pushing the snow off his body until he was sitting up strait, a huge pile of snow in his lap.

It took awhile for his eyes to focus, and he looked at his left shoulder and found Myoga poking it with his mouth. 'I even dreamt about this flea…' He was confused. What did this mean?

He felt his loyalty meter drop as he looked around. He refused to believe that Rin was missing. He kept telling himself that she would appear from behind a dying tree forty feet away and have a smile on her face, but there were no trees around. In fact, absolutely nothing was around whatsoever.

He looked upwards from his sitting position on the ground when two hands grasped his arms and held him firmly. He looked up into two huge eyes that were Totosai's. 'I dreamt of him…' He had known this demon since childhood, but he had never really thought of the sword maker as anything friendly, yet he was staring at him with… emotion.

Totosai shook Sesshomaru's shoulders violently. "You alive in there?" he said while cocking his head to the side. "Be lucky that I smelt you while returning to the western lands, or you'd probably be unconscious—or dead."

Sesshomaru could only nod his head, not up to saying anything, and looked down at his hands that were in his lap. The tips of his fingers had turned blue. In fact-

'My whole body,' he said to himself with wide eyes as he looked at his arms. They were a light shade of blue, and were slowly turning darker. This only happened to… _humans_.

Totosai could only shake his head at Sesshomaru and grab his hand. Pulling violently until the demon was on his feet, he released his hand and pointed out into the nothingness of the snowstorm. "Don't you understand by now?" he shouted while raising both arms in the air, competing with the loud winds. "Can't you SEE that clearly Lord Jai knows that you're in his lands?"

Sesshomaru said nothing. 'Obviously…' He felt light headed and fell back-first into the snow, his new wounds from some enemy coming to life and stinging his body.

"Is he alright?" Myoga asked from Totosai's beard.

Totosai watched Sesshomaru and exhaled deeply. 'Just like his father,' he thought as he put his hands in the sleeves of his haori. "We will leave him to do as he wishes, but just to make sure…" He grinned. "You will always be watching him."

'Why would I dream about Kagura?' He looked to the sky as he thought this, the white flakes of snow picking up quickly around his body again. 'Why would I dream of these two idiots?' Their scents were in the area when he was unconscious, so that was an explanation that he could live with. 'Why would I dream of… Lord Jai?'

He paused and choked in his saliva.

'Why _didn't_ I dream about Rin?'

&&&&&

"Auntie Rinny…" Kagome pulled her aunt's bigger hand within her own. "You're slowing down," she reminded while turning around, and she met an exhausted face from Rin. "You said to let you know when I think you're walking slow." She only sighed when she got nothing as a reply, and looked for the nearest gray tree, settling the woman down before it in the godforsaken forest. 'Auntie Rinny…'

Rin panted before staring at the ground and slowly closing her eyes. "Where's…" she said weakly. "Ko… la?"

Just as she said his name, the boy appeared from behind the tree she was sitting in front of. 'Thank… goodness,' she thought as she opened her eyes. She knew he was there the minute the two children started bickering about something that she didn't understand. She could only catch a word or two per sentence before her hearing gave out. 'High… elevation?' No, it had to be more than that.

She panted, puffs of air clouding before her mouth. She was already out of energy, and they had only walked about half a mile out into the blizzard. 'I… have to get… strong,' she thought as she felt a chill come over her. "But…" Sesshomaru would have already gotten her and either carried her in his arm or stop their journey for the remaining of the day if she was caught walking this slowly. 'But… I'm hurt…'

"Auntie Rinny. It's snowing again!"

Looking ahead of her slowly, the corners of her lips lifted less than a centimeter at the two children playing and throwing snowballs at each other in the snow. Convinced that they were fine, she closed her eyes, blackness clouding her mind and body.

Then she imagined him.

'Sesshomaru…' She silently gasped and felt her closed eyes sting. She couldn't remember what he looked like when he was healthy, but she knew that he was the man of her dreams. He was a tall man with hair the color of snow, but it would instantly turn orange when it came in contact with either the setting sun or a blazing fire. He had eyes that were an amazing amber, but would turn deep brown when it was dark outside. Most thought he didn't have a smile, but he did, a rare one, and it made her heart melt every time she saw it.

'We are a dyad…' she thought. 'Nothing… more.' They both had a relationship together, but it was more of an interaction with each other. He was completely used to her company, the same for her. Nothing would change that.

'But…' She opened her eyes some and looked up at the sky. It was terribly cold and she had started to lose feeling in some body parts. "S-Sesshomaru…" Where was he? 'I… don't expect… you to come find me,' she managed to get out as she tried standing, got weak to the knees, and fell to the ground, the side of her body in the snow.

"Auntie Rinny! Are you alright?"

She wasn't stupid. She had an infection spreading throughout her entire body from Lord Jai's… roughness with her. Both of the children trudging in the snow towards her knew as well. They were trying to break the news to her lightly, but she already knew that she wasn't going to make it much longer in these conditions.

It took quite some time for both children to lift her upwards so she was standing, and when she was, she limply hugged the thick tree and pulled herself against it. She felt her voice give out. "Sesshomaru…" She looked down when she felt something gently pull on her kimono. She could hear faint sniffles. "Ka… Kagome. P-please don't cry…"

Kagome's eyes widened. "I ain't cryin'!"

Rin noticed some of her father's attitude come out with the girl's statement. "Kola? …Is that you?" She knew it was when Kagome started giggling and returned back to making snowballs twenty feet away. That left her and the young wolf demon to themselves.

"You miss… your mother," she said as she slowly sat down, Kola helping her along the way so she was back in her original position. The young wolf demon sat down next to her, his right claw rubbing his eyes ferociously. "You aren't weaned…" She knew from Jaken that wolf demons were especially attached to their mothers just like in the wild.

"Yes I am."

She looked down at him and set a cold arm around his shoulders, pulling his warm body to her cold one. "But not from her… company." She guessed that this boy was more close to his mother than his father, and when his big blue eyes that matched his father's looked up at her through his long black bangs that covered half his face, she melted.

"Older sister always made fun of me because I liked being around Mother more than Father, unlike her who liked things the other way around…" Kola looked at Rin and sighed, standing and dusting the snow off his shoulders. "But I'm fine. I… just wanted to say that much, nothing more." With that he chased after Kagome who already had a fort made with snowballs behind it.

Rin could only nod.

She looked to the sky and opened her mouth slightly. Her throat tingled from not drinking anything. "S-Sesshomaru…" Holding onto the tree and pulling herself up slower than a snail, she stared at the sky. "I… I want to see you." Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to fight the tears that were demanding repellence. "I… I _have_ to see you."

She looked down again when she felt another gentle pull on her kimono. Instead of it being Kola who was making a fort of his own, it was Kagome. The headstrong girl was in the brink of tears. "Kagome must see him, too. Auntie Rinny… Kagome misses Uncle Sessy." Kagome wiped her eyes clean. "When will he come?" She sniffled. "I'm waiting…"

Falling to her knees at the little girl's adorable words, the tears finally came. "I miss him, too." A slight noise fell from her lips, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

Rin collapsed on the ground and clutched her hands into weak fists. "I… have so much to say… to you," she cried into the snow. "I never want to be away from you…" She closed her eyes tight as Kola and Kagome tried to get her off the ground. "I j-just want you to hold me… and never let go." Her voice was rising.

In a few swift movements the two had her on her knees. She buried her face in her hands. "I'm… I'm going to _die_!" She started to hiccup over again, and both children stared at her with wide eyes. "I just want him to hold me!" She shook her head. "I… want him to… look at me!"

She felt two small arms wrap around her, and she took her hands away from her eyes. She sat there, a child hugging her and another staring at her in disbelief. 'I won't… make it…' But what about these two children? What about Ah-Un and Jaken? What about Lord Jai? What about _Sesshomaru_?

Her own arms slowly wrapped around Kagome.

"K-Kagome," she choked out, and puffy red eyes looked up at her. She stroked the girl's white bangs to the side. "If I… _die_, I want you to tell Sesshomaru something…" She noticed that Kagome was pointing to her lips. She guessed that they were blue from the cold, because her fingertips already were.

She could only gasp as unconsciousness started to take over her body.

&&&&&

Jai continued to walk through his grounds, knowing very well that Naraku and his two apprentices were following suite. "Is there something you want, Naraku?" he asked with a snarl as he spun around, nearly giving himself whiplash. "The woman and the two children aren't here any longer, so deal with it," he growled out, but none seemed affected.

Naraku stared at the man with deadly red eyes. "We need to know the woman's location so we can make sure Sesshomaru doesn't get near her." He felt better when the demon lord before him shook feverishly at the name. 'He still feels for his dead wife,' he thought with a raised eyebrow.

Jai's blue eyes narrowed. "And just why is that?" he asked as he pointed to the girl at Naraku's left, Kanna. "I seem to remember you telling me that you had the girl get rid of Sesshomaru by knocking him out and dumping him in the middle of nowhere." The corners of his lips lifted upwards. "…Let's just say that I did the same."

Naraku shook his head. "This isn't like that," he explained. "We have a real reason to know of the woman's location," he said calmly. "…Have you ever thought about the fact that Sesshomaru still travels with that woman?"

Kagura gasped.

Jai could only roll his eyes. "What does that dog demon have a say in?" he said with a grin. "Rin has been claimed as mine and mine only. If he's really that confident in taking her from my clutches then…" He paused. "You know." He received a pale expression from Kagura. "It may sound fatal, but when there's a woman involved between two demons… one doesn't survive."

Kagura gasped again. 'All those times I've witnessed Inuyasha and Koga fight over Kagome…' she thought while eyeing Jai. He was in fact huge, but about the same size as Sesshomaru. 'Those two are both still alive; but perhaps that's because they're friends or something.' She shook her head. 'They both know deep down that the woman wouldn't appreciate it,' she concluded as she shoved her hands into her kimono sleeves. 'That's it.'

Naraku nodded. "That is my reason, now I demand that you tell me where the woman is located at," he said rather irritably. "The sooner she is back within my care, I can continue to proceed with using the demon lord." He simply wasn't strong enough as a hanyou to take over all of the lands. He needed an apprentice that was more powerful than all his creations put together, and perhaps greater.

'He's what I need,' he thought while rubbing his temples. "Well then, we'll start searching high and low until she and the two demons are found."

Jai only nodded and turned.

"Naraku?"

The half demon's head lifted from thinking, just in time to watch the last of the lord's figure disappear into his frozen forest. He took note that he had started another storm. "Yes?"

"…She's marked."

"And I'm well aware."

&&&&&

"Auntie Rinny…" Kagome called out again as she shook her aunt's shoulders. "You're a very pretty blue and need to get somewhere warm right away…" she warned while shaking her aunt's shoulders harder. "Please wake up so you can see Uncle Sessy and live happily ever after." She smiled softly. "Like in the stories from Mommy's home that she tells me." She got nothing, and had been shaking her aunt's frozen shoulders for about ten minutes. The cold didn't affect her at all; but she was worried about her aunt. "P-please, Auntie Rinny…"

Rin's eyes slowly fluttered open. She let out a moan as she realized that she was leaning against the same tree that she had been that day. The sky was almost a dark blue.

"We have to… get back." She had been warned by her new caretaker to obey his every will or there would be severe consequences. She was by far late returning to his home.

Kagome shook her head as her aunt failed to get herself standing. She couldn't stand the woman in pain so she looked to the side. "Me and Kola will…" She trailed off as her aunt's distant eyes looked her square in the face. The young hanyou was knelt right in front of her, her aunt, Auntie Rinny—she looked terrible.

Kagome observed Rin's body that was slowly turning a darker shade of blue by the second, especially her cheeks and lips. Her aunt's hair was glued to her face from the snow and wetness, and it seemed to be frozen on. "We gotta go now," she said as she made her way to her feet and dusted the snow off her kimono from kneeling down.

"There ya go," she said five minutes later as she got her aunt standing and gripping the tree. "Take my hand," she instructed as she held her tiny hand out, and it was covered with one three times her size seconds later. She immediately noticed that it was freezing, and that Rin's fingertips were a light shade of purple.

They walked slowly through the forest and blizzard back to their new home. Kola was about twenty feet ahead of them, stopping to sniff the ground ever so often to make sure they were going in the right direction.

Kagome kept her eyes fixated on Rin. She kept noticing that her eyes were off track; one minute they were looking ahead, and the next they looked clouded and unfocused. She could feel the bones in Rin's hand with ease. Rin's skin was blanch… but it always looked like that, so Kagome guessed that she was fine.

She smiled fondly and stared ahead. "What do you think Uncle Sessy's doing right now?" she asked with a giggle. "I bet that he's thinking about me more than you!"

Rin's eyes focused, and she let them stare down at the girl that came up to just above her knees. "Maybe so," she said quietly, and she noticed that her voice was hoarse. She also noticed that they were falling behind with Kola in the lead because she was walking so slowly.

"It's okay," Kagome said while staring ahead. "I can still smell Kola through the storm so we're fine," she spoke softly. "_Anyway_, what do you think about Uncle Sessy anyway?" she asked as she quickly shook, getting the snow off her shoulders and the bridge of her nose.

If Rin could blush, she would have.

"Well," Kagome said while looking down, but nonetheless they kept continuing through the dark sky and howling winds. "Mommy is waiting for you to have a baby like me," she said while pointing at herself. "She says you like Uncle Sessy and talks about you two all the time!" She sighed. "But Daddy says that pigs will fly when that happens…"

Rin made a noise, an incoherent noise.

She could feel Kagome's light colored eyes looking up at her filled with love, but she couldn't look down at her. Instead she continued staring ahead, watching Kola who was at the top of a hill and waving his hands in the air. She guessed that they were back and weakly sighed with relief—but Kagome was still watching her. "You see… we're… not like that," she said with huffs, clouds of air before her mouth from the cold.

"Well you should be," the six year-old said with a glare. "Auntie Rinny's the only girl I've seen with him—_ever_! You're special! So you should make a baby and live happily ever after!" Her father's anger was returning. "Don't be so STUPID!" The girl paused to catch her breath.

"Anywho… you're in love." After adding the unbelievable pointed finger to go well with her statement, she giggled. "Hope it's a girlie!"

Rin ignored Kagome's last words and looked at the sky. Beyond the snow and gray clouds, she was sure that there was a moon out there somewhere, and stars that were counting down the minutes… the minutes until she could be a real person.

'Please remember what tomorrow is,' she thought as a tear fell down her cheek, but she didn't feel it or notice it at all until Kagome gasped and pointed a finger at her again. 'Please…' she pleaded. 'It's the only way… I'll know that you… still care—that you're out there somewhere… and trying to find me.' She didn't blame her lord for anything at all.

"We're here!" snapped her from a trance of her lord just in time for something hard to come in contact with her right eye, separating her hand with Kagome's as she fell to the ground painfully. She heard in her mind a tearing sound from below her waist as she heard Kagome scream out her name, droplets of blood coming to view. She also saw a trail of blood leave Kagome's nose.

The little girl had to help her sit up, because she felt her back give out at such an early age. All this pain and suffering was deserved; she would keep telling herself this until the day she died. Her hearing was giving out constantly, and she was sure that the infection was spreading quickly.

"Don't ever be late again."

Rin looked up at a tall man with dark brown hair that touched his shoulders and curled upwards. He had parted bangs that were almost hiding almond colored eyes and thick eyebrows. He was handsome, and by looking at the woman with the white makeup face next to him that was smirking down at her, she understood clearly and looked away.

"Yes."

&&&&&

'Today is the day…' was the first thought that left Sesshomaru's mind as his eyes slowly opened; it was the next day. He was once again covered in snow, and he sat up, the snow falling into his lap. He was glad to see that Totosai and Myoga hadn't left him at all yet. They really were still loyal to his father even though he's been dead for so long.

"Are you awake?" he said quietly to the form perched on top of the demonic cow that was grazing on the little grass five feet away that it could find.

"Of course I am," Totosai replied as his orange sized eyes opened. "I've been monitoring your heartbeat all night incase it gives out, you know," he reminded as he hopped off, dusting off his shoulders and reaching into his beard. He pulled out Myoga and cupped his hands together with him inside, and blew into them to warm the flea. "Is there something you want before we return to the western lands?" he asked as he gave his attention to Sesshomaru, but he was looking to the side.

"Sesshomaru?" the demon called as he rested Myoga on his shoulder. "_Ses-sho-ma-ru_?" he called as he got down on a knee and looked in the direction the demon lord was looking. "There's nothing but bad weather in that direction," he said as he pointed to the gray clouds. The clouds above them were gray as well, but not as gray as the ones facing west.

"That's the point," Sesshomaru said with wide eyes as Totosai pulled him upwards. 'Did I notice that yesterday?' he thought while looking up. Deciding against it, he slowly started moving west, knowing very well that Totosai and Myoga were right behind him.

"You might catch something out here with those open wounds," Totosai warned.

"Hmm…"

Totosai sighed. 'Just like his father,' he thought while shaking his head and hopping onto his cow that had been following their trail. "Well, if you're going to be so ambitious and let your instincts lead you around, I'm going back to the western lands before I die a foolish and lonely death," he said while covering his face with his arm.

"Hmm…"

Myoga poked Totosai in the neck. "I think he's lost his mind," he warned while shaking his head; he wanted to mention that they were now walking over a frozen river that was covered with feet of snow. "Why do you think he's continuing after realizing that he's killing himself?" he asked as they slowly rose in the air and turned the opposite direction. "This isn't like the lord of the western lands, is it?"

Totosai nodded in agreement, and gasped when Sesshomaru's strides through the snow got wider and wider. "As it seems, Lord Sesshomaru is on the move," he said while peering down now that the air was clearer with them so high up. "And he's headed strait towards a cliff in the mountain."

He grinned. "HEY SESSHOMARU!"

Sesshomaru turned around to see the last of Totosai's figure disappear within the clouds. He simply raised an eyebrow and noted the last words the demon said before leaving him. Something along the lines of "You're just as stupid as _Inuyasha_!"

He faced forward and slowly started walking through the dead woods before him. Trees were dead and the ground was a deadly color that wasn't living at all. Nothing was, and he started to lose hope as he looked at the sky. But the darker the clouds were, the closer he would get.

When he got to the end a couple hours later, he felt ashamed, for he could have made it through in minutes if only he had his strength.

Shaking his head, he looked down.

There was a square shaped something at the bottom of the mountain he was on… and it had Rin's scent in it; it reminded him of Kagura and Kanna in his dream. This was his only lead, and he wasn't about to go back on it at all. It had been far too long since he last saw her face, it had been far too long since he heard her voice, and it had been far too long since he had seen her reassuring smile.

His lips slowly curved upwards, despite the fact that they were azure.

"Found you."

&&&&&

**Bri Note- **Whelp; just wait until the next chapter for any new stuff! This chapter took me such a long to type, no? Anywho, let me know what you think, and thank you for adding me to your favorite's list! OH YEAH! I signed up for fictionpress and am working on my first chapter for my own story! Dreams really DO come true! Anywho, the summary's down there so please read it if you want to. If you wanna read _Sweethearts_ (when it's posted), just go to fictionpress and look up the same username as this one!

_**Title:**__ Sweethearts__  
__**Chapters: **__0  
__**Status: **__IN PROGRESS  
__**Last Update: **__(not posted)  
__**Genre: **__Romance  
_--Brooke did her job as a wedding singer, and she met Jack, the man with the eyes that were hidden within long black locks. But she has a few problems. One: he's actually a man. Two: she's falling in love with him. And three: she's in high school.

_**Much Love,**_

_**Brijustme**_


	14. “You remembered…”

··April 6, 2008

**Disclaimer:** No ownership… _today_. Maybe tomorrow. That sounds pretty dull, yeah? Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, and rest assured that I already started bothering my mum for a new laptop for my birthday in… somethin' a somethin' days! Read on!

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive…

"_You remembered…"_

_by Brijustme_

&

"Sesshomaru… I am expiring."

Sesshomaru did nothing; he knew who it was.

"Naraku."

He had no reason to move.

If Naraku wanted to kill him he would have done so already.

He was so close to Rin that he could imagine her usual smile on her face, but instead he stared downwards. He couldn't see much of what she was inside; it was probably the size of a spec from how high he was. The elevation level was also high, causing his mind to go crazy. It wasn't long before he was staring down into grayness from the weather caused by Lord Jai.

"My heart belongs to someone, against my will—" Naraku watched Sesshomaru intensively. He looked worse than him, and all he had to do was kill him. But he was weak as well. He cleared his throat. "And my power has been given to her for far too long." Naraku closed his eyes. 'Kikyo… _and_ Meiko.'

Sesshomaru could feel the half demon getting closer to him by the second, and it wasn't long before Naraku was standing next to him and staring down the mountain as well. Why this demon was here didn't concern him, but he had indeed put him on hold like he had probably been trying to do. 'He's alone…'

Sesshomaru tried to fight the look of curiosity on his face when he looked up at Naraku. His skin had started to peel, and the life seemed to be sucked out of him, leaving white paper for skin and sticks for bones. His hair was wiry and he seemed older than he posed to be.

"My demon half rejected Kikyo… and as payback… he's dying." Naraku's deadly red eyes looked at Sesshomaru, and he shook his head. "_Onigumo_ is dying; so am I." He was fine a few hours previously, but that was a sham. He can't hide his true form any longer. "Onigumo lost Kikyo and Meiko."

What was he to do?

He used the little strength he had to reach into the pocket of his haori, and he pulled out a tiny fragment that was a Shikon Jewel piece. Kanna had gotten this from Kagome a while ago, and he didn't think the hanyou had noticed yet. Rin, on the other hand, had been a challenge. Kagura and Kanna couldn't find it on her at all; because of her his expected long life was being cut short. He needed the entire jewel. The fragment from the half demon had kept him alive while he was with Lord Jai.

He looked up. "If I had _all_ the shards, this wouldn't have to happen."

Sesshomaru looked away.

Naraku released the shard, causing it to fall into the snow, burying itself. "That woman is the cause of this," he spoke into the cold. He wasn't surprised when he received nothing as a reply, not even a glance. "Incase you were wondering whether I would become a full demon or save my life, I would rather save my life; we have to be logical." Naraku nodded his head when Sesshomaru scooted away from him slightly. "And even though my life is about to crumble within itself, you still think that I am going to kill you." He smiled. "You are very keen."

He died.

&

Kagura gasped and held her right hand to her chest. She saw flashbacks of her master's face and Kanna's go through her mind. What was happening?

She looked around in the forest, each time seeing the gray trees and clumps of nothingness.

'Wha—" She paused and held her head with her left hand.

'Naraku.' She wasn't sure what was going on, but she felt terrible. She wanted to call out to end this, she wanted to end the horror and pain, but this was just too much. '_Naraku_,' she growled out to herself, her red eyes sparkling. This wasn't the first time Naraku had held her heart in his hand. The sorrow she felt for herself ached through her body, but something was wrong.

This pain hurt worse than it normally did.

She held back coughs, and when she couldn't any longer, for the first time in her life, blood exited her body. This wasn't right to her. She was a doll. She wasn't real. She didn't have a real heart inside her. And yet she was feeling it beat.

She swore that she could feel this substance, blood, rushing through veins. She felt her head hurt from where her hair shot out, she felt her eyesight dim, and she felt herself shrink a few inches. Tears started to brim in her eyes, but she held them in, too defenseless to let anyone see them. She wasn't human.

She finally let out a held in scream as she fell to her knees.

Her hands curled into fists on the cold ground, each palm full of snow, and she squeezed it together. She felt better with her frostbitten fingers getting damage.

'Naraku…' she said to herself slowly as she lifted her head. She leaned it against the tree she was in front of and let her legs give out. She lay there on the snow covered ground, her forehead scratched from the tree.

She closed her eyes.

'Onigumo…'

She could hear someone calling out her name, her real name, but she still kept her eyes closed. This feeling of human sleep felt so nice and refreshing to her, and she fell asleep listening to her heart beating softly.

"Meiko! Are you alright?"

'_He couldn't have run away,' Meiko said to herself as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. There wasn't a reason in the world as to why he would want to leave their home, their family, and most importantly, her. 'Onigumo has been missing for days now.' She was worried about him more than anything._

"_Sister, why am I with you?"_

_Meiko looked at her sister and shook her head. "Mother thinks I'm off to get vegetables; she'd suspect something if I went alone," she easily answered. "Arimi, please don't look so emotionless like that."_

"_Like what?" Arimi asked as she put a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. "I can't stand that Onigumo more than Mother can," she said with a huff. "I don't understand why you fell in love with him." She looked away when her younger sister of stared at her like a lost infant. "But he fell in love with you, and you deserve that."_

_Meiko smiled. "Thank you," she said as she wrapped her arms around herself. "What do you think might have happened to him?" she asked her sister. "I'm starting to think that he ran away from me."_

_Arimi sighed. "I think he was either set on fire or blown to death," she seriously said, her almost black eyes staring back at her sister's dark brown ones. "And—"_

"_Shh," Meiko said while holding her hand out to the side. She looked around into the thick forest they were inside of, hoping to find her lover. "Hear that?" she quietly asked as she eyed a tree that was bigger than most the others._

"_Hear what?"_

_Meiko rolled her eyes. Arimi preferred to stay home with their mother than go out into the wilderness and battle demons. She tried not to smile. This was how she met Onigumo. Her father and he had battled together for a few years. He was some odd years older her, but that didn't matter in her eyes._

"_Meiko, it's nice to see you."_

_She gasped and slowly lifted her head. She wanted to smile, she really wanted to, but something was wrong; something wasn't right. She remembered the voice, but she was staring at a completely different person, and he was grinning at her._

"_Onigumo…" she said with disbelief. She slowly took a step closer to the tree while still looking up. She knew very well that her sister was pulling on her arm, but she had always been weak. "Is that really you…" She wanted to believe it, but something was wrong._

"_Shocked to see me?" the person that she thought was Onigumo said as he stared down at her. Her short black hair, her dark brown eyes, her tall frame. He nodded. She was perfect. He gracefully fell from the tree and landed on the ground, his long black hair coming behind him._

_He expected this, Arimi holding Meiko close to her. She had always been defenseless, and he took in her appearance as well. As tall as Meiko, with dark hair and extremely dark eyes. Yes, he would be able to use her as well, but as an apprentice. She wasn't as strong as Meiko. _

_Meiko watched Onigumo with a slightly opened mouth. This was the man that she saw everyday, this was the man that kissed her everyday, and this was the man that she went to bed with everyday. She didn't believe his piercing red eyes, cruel look on his face, and… tentacles hanging out from his back. She reached a hand out to touch him when she saw what looked like a burn mark on his cheek._

_He seemed to have caught her hand before she could place it on his skin, and she wanted to smile at him, but she couldn't. She instead stared down at their joined hands. Something was wrong; she felt lightheaded. _

"_GET AWAY FROM HER!"_

_Onigumo grinned. _

"_You whine like a child," he said with a grin as he held out a tentacle to her, pushing her to the ground with it. "So why don't you become one!" he bellowed from his chest. "You are my first detachment." _

_He returned his eyes to Meiko's, and before she could say something, his tentacle pushed her to the ground, and he watched as both of them had red auras around them. 'Yes,' he said to himself with a nod, and the red aura quickly disappeared, leaving a demon and a child in Meiko and Arimi's places._

"_Kagura and Kanna."_

Meiko moaned as she opened her eyes. They widened as she looked at the person laid down in the snow next to her. She blinked several times, her eyesight dull, and she rubbed her eyes. "Arimi?"

"Meiko… we're human again," Arimi's said with a small smile as she opened her eyes, moving her black hair out of her face. "We're back, we're back." She moved closer and hugged her sister towards her.

"We're _back_."

&

"Jesus…" Sesshomaru realized that he talked to himself; the smell was bothering him so much that he felt as if he would have to kill them all… every last one of them. Getting as close to Rin so he could remember what she smelt like was his top priority.

Of course most of his demonic senses were entirely gone, leaving a human inside a demon form, but he had no choice. He hated the smell that was all around this area. High in the mountains he didn't have the smell it at all, and with his sense of smell no longer with him, he could… tell that they were around.

Humans.

Were they really worth it? Sesshomaru wondered this himself as he watched a woman with her face entirely covered with makeup sweep the snow out from around the house.

_Why_ was Rin living in a geisha house?

He clutched a fist in agitation. How could someone do this to her? He made a decision right then. Whoever sent her here would die as soon as he was healthy again.

He felt sorry for her; part of this was his own fault. He had caused him and her to fight that day, and she had run away. Nothing was her fault, and it was all his actually. But that face when she was upset… it was unerringly attractive in its own way.

He felt himself grow weaker as his heartbeat sped up. So this was what humans went through so much? He was finding this feeling deep inside him irritating, but it wouldn't go away. He had no control over his body, his mind, and the rest. Naraku had caused his heartbeat to speed as well, but he was sure that it was because of shock when he fell to the ground.

His eyes widened when he saw that the woman had dropped her broom. He didn't have to do or say anything; she could do all the work. He was extremely tired, but he had come all this way. There was no turning back; he was ready to see Rin, whether she liked it or not.

"_DEMON_!"

&

"Here you are," Rin solemnly said as she tied Kagome's kimono string to hold the freshly cleaned fabric together that she had washed. "You're nice and clean now." Standing slowly, she looked over her shoulder, respecting Kola's need for privacy as he bathed himself in the spring. It took over an hour to find, but cleaning two children in hot water was worth it. "Are you done as well?"

"Auntie Rinny…" Kagome started as she grabbed her aunt's dirty kimono. "Something is the matter." Amber stared into brown, and Kagome didn't know what to do about it. The life and soul was completely gone from her aunt; she didn't like it. This entire time she's been away from her family she's thought of Rin as nothing but a mother. She had gotten her menstrual period; she was looking at Kola differently. All because of Rin.

"Nothing is the matter," Rin said while looking ahead. "Nothing at all."

"Ahh," Kagome said while looking into her aunt's light brown eyes that seemed a little cloudy this morning. "You were talking about dying yesterday," she said with a shaky pointed finger. "Old people die, and you said you wanted me to tell Uncle Sessy something…" She put a lock of damp hair behind her ear that Rin had dried for her. "And your scent… it's changed."

"Kagome."

Kagome looked down.

"But—"

"KAGOME! _ENOUGH_!"

She flinched and said nothing after that, and she felt time stop at Rin's outburst; she hadn't heard the woman scream in her entire life. 'A-Auntie Rinny,' she said to herself as Kola held his hands out from behind a bush, and Rin began to walk slowly towards him with his clean haori in her arms. She couldn't help but smile. 'She really does miss him.'

She didn't feel up to saying anything as they continued making their way back to their new home. It had been over a week since she had been to her original home; it had been over a week since she had been taken away from her family and friends at her village… and she wanted it all back. Nothing could stop her from thinking of her parents and siblings. _Sesshomaru_.

Nothing would stop her from thinking of Sesshomaru.

She always thought she would marry him since the very first day she met him, which happened to be the first day of her birth. She knew all his secrets, at least the ones he let her know, which she thought was all of them, and he was soft around her, as he was with her other siblings.

Kagome smiled softly.

She would someday overthrow her aunt and run away with Sesshomaru. 'One of these days,' she thought as she watched Rin tie the knot to Kola's haori. 'I'll be married to Uncle Sessy and have tons of good lookin' kids!" Even someone with her six year-old mind could tell this information. She saw the way Sesshomaru looked at her; he loved her, Kagome, with all his heart.

The child looked around frantically as Kola helped Rin to her feet, and when she found what she was looking for, she hid it behind her back with both hands. 'I'm sorry Auntie Rinny…'

"Kagome?" Rin quietly called, her strength wasted in yelling at the child previously. "R-ready to—" Her eyes widened when the girl walked up to her form that was partially hugging a tree. "Y-yes?" she asked as a flower was held out to her.

"Happy scent change," Kagome said while looking down. "Kagome's sorry for being mean to Auntie Rinny…" Her words even shocked Kola who was used to her being obnoxious.

Kagome looked around frantically. There wasn't a flower in sight, and she found it in her to smile. "I'm sorry too," she weakly said as she held out her hand, taking the flower from Kagome. She was amazed by the fact that anything was able to grow in these harsh weather conditions.

The flower was beautiful. It was a flower that she was unaware of, and it reminded her of when she was younger and loved picking them nonstop. She loved them so much that her lord had to come get her at night and hold her arm as she slept, just incase she would run off to pick more flowers.

She felt her eyes burn with the sensation of crying as she stared at the color. It was almost a golden color, the color of Kagome's eyes but slightly lighter. A tear fell down her cheek, and she let her shaky hand put the flower behind her left ear. Sesshomaru's exact intense color.

"Auntie Rinny!" Kagome said with clasped hands, the cold not affecting her at all. "You look so pretty!" she said with a giggle to cheer her aunt up. She didn't; in fact, she looked terrible. Her skin had turned white, her hair was matted, and she looked so dark now, instead of happy and loving.

Kola walked ahead of them again today, and Rin and Kagome held hands, Kagome's right in Rin's left. It was the younger hanyou's responsibility to look after Rin, while it was Kola's responsibility to look out for danger. If something pushed Rin to the ground it would be over in the snap of a finger.

This was what happened.

The next thing Kagome knew, Rin was clashing against the ground, chest first. They had been off to a good start, and they were about five minutes from their home. She had made it this far, so she should be—

Then she saw the huge tree root.

She heard odd sounding whimpers as she quickly knelt down to her aunt's level, picking up the flower that had fallen from her hair and putting it back in its original place. Kola had now shown up with his bright blue eyes popping out through his bangs; they were full of worry.

"Auntie Rinny," Kagome repeatedly called out. "You can't stay on the cold ground, you have to get up," she encouraged. She knew by now that the people they now lived with weren't friendly, so sending Kola for help was out of the question.

Rin cried into the snow, well aware that her face was taking on a tint of blue by the second. She cried into it, not caring about anything in the world. 'H-h… he…' She felt her body shiver. 'He didn't come for me,' she said to herself with no hope. 'He doesn't care for me…' She turned her head to the side and met Kagome and Kola's gazes.

She closed her eyes.

_If she only had enough strength to believe in herself, she would have gotten up. She would have. But she didn't have enough courage to get up and sit next to her sleeping lord. She was nineteen now, and if she wanted to sit next to him, he would know beforehand. He always did._

_Rin stared into the blazing fire she was sitting in front of, while at the same time staring at her lord's somewhat peaceful face. His eyelids were closed, his face angelic from the fire bouncing off it, and his mouth was in a thin strait line going across his face. She watched as he breathed, as his body rose and fell._

_He had always looked feminine in her eyes, sometimes more than herself, but she knew that he was a man; she would always know. He was her protector, he was her lifeline, and he was family to her. He had always been there when her parents weren't able to be, and she sometimes thought that they were all looking down from the heavens upon her. Her father's deep voice was telling her to run, while her mother's was telling her to get up and sit next to Sesshomaru; she wanted her to take a chance._

_She had never been intentionally afraid of him before, and now that she was thinking of it, whenever she wanted to sit next to him, he never pushed her away. Never. Not even once. She smiled softly at his sleeping form and paid attention to the fire again._

_They were out doing their regular schedule, and having been doing this for over ten years, she had never gotten bored a day in her life. She loved being out and defending herself, and she liked the idea that eyes were always on her. His eyes protected her and read her mind at the same time._

_Rin again watched him. His face had a tanned look to it and his hair was orange from the fire. Growing up she always thought of him as her best friend, never her father. She had a father, and he wasn't alive; she wasn't asking for a new one. Sesshomaru's calm silence was really all she needed. _

_He had offered it for so many years that she was waiting for him to dismiss her. He had kept her close to him for so many years that perhaps his hopes and dreams had been crushed. All this started when she followed him, and she's been following him ever since. _

_She leaned her back against the tree behind her and brought her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them and squeezed tightly. She had been in love with him since she was twelve, and he still only thought of her as his follower. She had been loyal to him since the day she had followed him, and he still only thought of her as his follower. Was this her only purpose?_

_She lowered her head in thought, not feeling up for slumber. Crying would only set off radars in her lord's head and he would come rushing, she knew him that much, and she tried not to let liquid leave her eyes._

_She failed._

_Her eyes snapped upwards when a shadow covered her body. She froze. She was right; he was right in front of her. She felt her face lighten in the darkness of his shadow when Sesshomaru used his thumb to wipe the tears away under one eye, and his index finger for the other. _

"_You don't make a sound when you move," Rin said while looking away from him. Her face turned red a second time when he took off his fur and covered her body with it. She smiled softly when he sat next to her and kicked his boot against the ground, making more than enough noise._

_She looked at him through the corner of her eye to find him staring at her with an elbow on his knee; he was waiting for her to sleep. If he loved her, deep within his demonic exterior, he was very good at hiding it. She would believe that until the day she died._

If she only had enough strength to believe in herself, she would have gotten up. She would have. But she didn't have enough courage to get up and run to her lord who was so far away. She was older now, and if she wanted to do something, she always found a way to do so. But she had completely given up.

'He doesn't love me…' Rin shook her head against the snow, not feeling like moving if Sesshomaru were right before her very eyes. She would never believe he would come all this way to get her, and she considered this her punishment.

Kagome continued to poke her aunt with her sharp index finger. "Hear that?" she encouraged with hope. "Someone's screaming something…" She stopped poking and lifted her head from Rin's form. "I _bet_ that it's Uncle Sessy."

"I bet that… it's not," Rin cried into the snow, her body still in its exact falling position. "It's _not_ him; he d-doesn't care." She felt her ribs cringe as she choked on her saliva. It was time to stop believing this fairytale.

"DEMON! _RUN_!"

If she only had enough strength to believe that it was him.

She did have it deep down within her, and she grabbed the hand that Kola had been holding out to her for several minutes. With his soothing words she made it to her feet, and once again she looked to hugging the tree behind her for support.

'I can do… this,' she said to herself, and she got a gasp from her niece when she fell to her knees. She picked herself up without Kola's help and took off, following her heart to her destination.

She knew it was him by now. She just had to see him. She wanted to tell him that she was madly in love with him. The only person she loved more than her family was him. She probably meant nothing to him, but he looked at her differently opposed to everyone else. He might care.

But then he might not.

Tears fell from Rin's eyes as she fell to her knees again, tearing happening in the bottom half of her body, but she picked herself up and made it on her way with a speed walk.

"There… it… is," she panted out as she saw the house through the trees and now falling snow. She was crying hysterically now, not caring about a thing in the world except her lord. She kept telling herself that it had to be him, that it just had to be, and she moved on, falling twice more in the process. She was almost there.

She pushed with all her might, getting cuts and bruises, through the long and sharp tree branches. She just had to get there, and when she did, she held her arms out in front of her as she pushed through the last two trees that had a foot of space between each other.

She busted through the trees just as he slowly turned around.

She felt time freeze. There he was, but he was staring at her with the widest eyes. She was sure that she was staring at him just the same. All the humans had left, leaving just the two of them. She did the only thing she could do. She ran towards him with the little stamina she had left in her entire body.

She cried.

"I—you…" Rin tried forming words, but came up with nothing; she stopped two feet in front of him, unsure of what to do. There were so many things she wanted to tell this man; there were _so many_ things that she wanted to apologize for that the word was imprinted in her mind. She cleared her throat, hoping that she wouldn't be turned away. "Sesshomaru… I'm so-"

"Don't apologize," Sesshomaru said while winking at her.

Rin shook her head and jumped into his right arm. She felt alert when another one wrapped around her as well. He had gotten another arm while coming to get her…

Sesshomaru felt his legs give out as he fell on his knees before her, his body falling forward and clashing against her own, using her stomach as a pillow for his head. His arms slowly came upwards and wrapped around her waist, pulling her body as close as demonly possible.

Rin's automatic reaction was to wrap her arms around his body as well, and she held him close to her while staring down at him, her sight disappearing by the second by the extra moisture and the clouding of her warm breath hitting the cold air. 'H-he's really…' Tears began to form in her eyes as they slowly closed.

"It's alright," she whispered as she ran a hand slowly through his bangs, and she could feel his head shaking back and forth as if he didn't believe that he was being held this second; he wasn't alone. "I'm right here…"

The only response she got was extra pressure added around her waist, and she felt herself gasping for breath. He didn't need to say anything. In fact, the only words she wanted to hear were positive ones. Her relationship with him wasn't based on talking at all; it was based on interactions and listening.

Her eyes opened when she felt him grab her wrist and put something in her hand. He then closed it by covering her hand with his own, and then with a squeeze, he released and returned his arm back to her waist.

Rin stared at it and opened her light blue hand, and she gasped. It was a necklace that was in the shape of a… rose. It was clear for a second, and she watched as it turned a deep blue. She felt something ignite itself in her head. It was a new feeling that she only felt while Sesshomaru was with her. "Y-you…" she stared at him fondly when she caught him peeking up at her.

"You remembered…"

It was her birthday.

&

**Bri Note:** WOW! I finished my screw-up chapter 9 so it'll be up shortly! Just some editing and tweaks here and there and it'll be done! Thanks so much for waiting! I promise that I'll start asking my mum for a new laptop for my birthday coming up soon! Please review and let me know what you think! I'm just so darn proud! Just wait for your confusion that I know _someone'll_ ask!

**Much Love**


	15. Stronger

- Happy Mother's Day -

··May 11, 2008

**Disclaimer:** Since the last chapter was such a success, I made sure to add extra sugar in this chapter for all the nice reviews! I really appreciate it that some of you have the patience that you have to wait for me to update. I know what it feels like, and I just wanted to say thanks, and Happy Mother's Day.

**Summary:** Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive…

_Stronger_

_by Brijustme_

&

He had held her.

Tightly in his arms.

Rin felt her heart burst to flames as he held her closer to him, as he tightened his arms around her waist until there wasn't any space between them at all. This was what she had wanted, _this_ was what she had been craving for all this time. It had taken over ten years, and she finally had it; she finally had Sesshomaru.

She didn't really have him at all, but she thought that their relationship was closer than it once was. _Words_ were said along with their interactions. That was a big step.

She thought and talked as if he was a prize, and perhaps that was what he was meant to be. Many women had offered their affections to him countless amounts of times, and they were always turned away. Was there a purpose to this? Was there a reason why the flute princess and wind sorceress were sent away with broken hearts? Was there something bothering him, like having a greater interest towards the same sex?

She moaned and weakly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were blurry, and she felt as if someone was watching over her; they weren't Sesshomaru. Fear should have been the first emotion to cover her body, but she was too fixated on her love to be afraid of anything. Just by thinking about him the pain and sorrow seemed to disappear.

'_I'd actually… given… up.' That horrible thought made her hold Sesshomaru as close to her as she could. She felt like she had betrayed him somewhat by thinking that he would forget about her. She didn't want to say that it had been over seven days since their fight; all she cared about was that he was here and with her._

_She depended on him in many ways. He kept her alive, kept her heart racing with love that she didn't want to give to any other man for as long as she lived. It was then that she made the decision to never marry. _

_The fact that he had remembered her birthday sent radars of her own through her head. What did that mean? Did she hold a special place in his heart? Was that even possible? The key had always been out of her reach, but looking down at him with such admirable eyes, she thought that she had gotten it. The more she stared down at the top of his head, the more she thought against it…_

"Rin, thank goodness that you're alright! Hold on, just a second. _Kaede_—she's awake!"

Rin slowly closed her eyes. She knew who it was. "K-Kagome…" she called out in a frail whisper. Her voice hurt as if she hadn't used it in days. She had a terrible headache and felt as if a child was throwing rocks at her forehead constantly. Even if she wasn't with Sesshomaru, the adult Kagome would do.

"It's alright," Kagome fondly said with a small smile. "You're alright now… it's alright," she cooed as she fed Rin water from a glass from her time. "You had a bad experience just now, but it's all over." Kagome pulled the glass from Rin's lips when the water started pouring over her face. She wasn't able to drink.

She still kept the smile on her face at Rin's weak condition. 'Inuyaku let me back,' she said to herself with a sigh. Now her family was back together, and so was Sesshomaru's; somewhat. Jaken had stormed off to find Sesshomaru himself after the fourth day of his absence, and Ah-Un had followed only in command.

Kagome set the glass down next to the futon Rin was laid on and grabbed her hand. It was icy and very thin. "I wanted to thank you so much for looking after Kagome…" Rin's thin fingers began to shake, and she lifted her head, surprised that she saw that Rin was trying to sit up after just getting to the village a few hours ago; she had heard that Rin had been asleep the entire two day journey back to the western lands.

"You have to stay put," Kagome said gently as she put Rin's hand down. "My decision is final. You're staying here from now on." She looked to the side. "I can't trust a certain someone as much as I thought I could. One of the reasons is because he lost track of you."

Rin shook her head; she didn't want to be here. She didn't like it indoors, even if she was just in a hut. They were back in the western lands, the weather told her that. It was daylight and the sun was clear in the sky. Even in her condition, she didn't want to miss that sunshine for anything.

'Sesshomaru…'

"And _where_ did you get this necklace?" Kagome asked as she held the jewel in her hand before Rin. "It was blue when you got here, and now it's _purple_?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "Who gave you…" The corners of her lips curved upwards when Rin's ill face started to heat itself. An incoherent noise left her mouth as she looked at the jewel more closely. "_Oh_. I had no idea that you and Sesshomaru were like _that_," she said with a light laugh. "I say that it's about time; you're much older now."

"Ka—"

"I mean, I _know_ that Sesshomaru looks at you differently and things like that, but I never thought that your relationship would be _that_ interesting." Kagome snapped her fingers. "Now Rin, it's not everyday that my brother-in-law finds an interest in something, and better yet, a _human_!"

"Are ye planning on dehydrating thee?" Kaede asked from the entrance of the hut. "This one needs water constantly until thee is capable of fending for thyself." She shook her head as Kagome grabbed the necklace.

Rin felt unconsciousness take over as Kaede and later Sango covered her body. They asked questions, requested tasks to her to see if she could do them, and finally their voices left, her ears suddenly feeling like they were filled with cotton.

She slept.

&

Inuyaku's sharp eyes circled the entire hut in search of someone identical to his mother. Instead of finding her he was greeted with his mother and aunt sleeping soundly. The right and honest thing to do in this situation would probably be to wake his mother and inform her of the fact that Rin was missing.

His ear twitched in agitation as he got down on a knee before his mother that had Yuri in her lap. He tapped her shoulder with irritation and sighed when a pair of brown eyes alertly stared at him: mother mode. He expected much from her, taken that it was past midnight and that he had disturbed her. Either something had to be wrong or he was really bored.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Kagome asked while tilting her head to the side. "Is there something wrong?"

Inuyaku rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… erm… you could say that," he said with a grin as his right index finger pointed across the dark hut and to a futon, right next to the window so it was the brightest thing in the room. Instead of Rin inside the futon it was Sango's newest edition to the family, with her leaning against the wall and holding the infant's hand.

"Oh my god…"

&

Rin took baby steps through the dangerous forest with an arm over her stomach, its noises churning into her mind. She kept convincing herself that when she found him that her pain would go away, her reason for continuing her search to find him. She just couldn't get to sleep without him, no matter how hard she tried to. She would rather die than bother him with such inconveniences.

Kagome and Sango had bathed her with a wet cloth, that didn't help. They had even gone through the trouble to tell her that she could sleep because Sesshomaru was going to be fine, but she knew otherwise. They just didn't know him like she did.

Rin shook her head and continued onwards. She had to see that Sesshomaru was fine, and until she saw him, she would keep panicking and refusing Kagome and Sango's kindness. She would be alright with Sesshomaru.

'Where…' she panted, '…is he?'

Finding someone with such a demonic presence that she felt it even with her human abilities couldn't be ignored for long. But something deep within her heart told her that she had to be careful because she was indeed weaker. Sesshomaru was perhaps _even_ _weaker_ than she was, and worrying him with the discovery that she was lost would probably kill him. She would rather kill herself than do that to him.

But as she continued on through the forest, her hope was lost. She was lost already.

'Where…?' If she were anywhere else she could maneuver her way through a forest, but she wasn't as familiar with this one. Each turn either sent her to the ground or hurt her severely. Her hair was caught in tree branches, she constantly kept tripping over large tree roots, and she felt like eyes were on her.

She remembered when her life was good, and when it wasn't like this. When she was with Sesshomaru she felt little or no pain at all. When she had first met him her eye and face didn't hurt at all. But when she left… she noticed that the pain came back from its break. So she would return to him, and he would luckily still be there. The pain would leave.

She had become dependent of him, even she knew that. He was her hope, her dreams, her life, and her love. She would forever be in love with the Lord of the Western Lands. Her taste for humans had left her as soon as she had hit her teenage years. From then and on, her love grew stronger by the day from interactions, little words, and eye contact.

'_Where_…?'

&

Rin felt the smallest smile come to her face as she thought she had found her destination. It had taken her all night, and with her passing out once and waking up to the early morning, she slowly carried on with no determination. Now here she was.

The tree.

A gasp left her mouth, the smallest smile disappearing, at the condition that the two demons before her were at. Brothers or not, one didn't look worse than the other. It seemed that Inuyasha had stayed with Sesshomaru to recoup himself as well. Her eyes snapped closed at her lord.

She felt somewhat touched as she began the baby steps towards her lord. Normally his eyes would have snapped open at the sudden sound of her feet moving, but not this time. His eyes remained closed, unmoving. To feel hurt and unimportant was out of the question, causing her feet to move faster until she was standing next to her lord, staring down at the top of his head.

Rin stood over him until her legs began to get tired, about forty seconds. She didn't understand why he hadn't noticed her. Was he really in such horrible condition? She cowardly got down on her knees, more like tripped, and caught herself right before she would have crashed into his sleeping form with Kagome sound asleep in his lap.

Jealousy was completely out of the question, she convinced herself, and she quietly sat down next to him. Inuyasha was on the other side of the tree trunk, his body resting against it with his arms loosely open in his lap; his daughter must have snuck away from him.

Rin looked at Sesshomaru's resting face for what seemed to be the longest time. Was she being ignored? Was she being… _punished_? She immediately dismissed that thought from her mind, never wanting to think like that again. Sesshomaru never deliberately took his attention away from her, and that was a fact.

Not sure of what to do, Rin felt the feeling of sleep start to take over her body. It was early morning, the sun just about to appear over the mountains and giving off orange beams throughout the lands.

Without control, her calloused hands limped to the right and locked on Sesshomaru's left arm that for the second time she was noticing, pulling herself closer so their sides were touching. 'S-_still_…?' she thought with shock as she rested her head against his arm. For now she would sleep, and later she would have her moments with Sesshomaru.

That would be nice.

&

Sesshomaru's eyes slowly opened to something knocking him on the head, only to find that it was his brother's replica, Kagome, who was staring at him with impatience. He felt like ignoring her, but the terrible thing humans went through called guilt swept over him. "What's wrong?" he weakly asked as he even more weakly sat up against the tree. He didn't remember falling asleep with her in his lap…

Kagome stared at her uncle with a goofy smile on her face from a bottom tooth missing. "I'm your watcher; you can't go anywhere without telling me," she commanded with a pointed finger. "I'm gonna watch you!" She continued to smile until she heard the sound of a body shifting.

She scrunched her nose and sighed. Waving her hand in her uncle's face, she waited for him to regain his eyesight. She guessed that he must be dizzy from the way his eyes seemed to roll as they fixated on her. "_She's_ here."

Sesshomaru followed Kagome's small index finger that was pointed to his left side. It didn't take a second for him to tell who it was; no one dared to get this close to him besides the few that he would allow. He slowly moved his head to the left; he was met with a head full of black hair.

His eyes widened at how different she looked. She looked… older. Not older as in wrinkled, but instead, older as in Rin looked more like an adult. He was so used to her childlike appearance clinging to him and never leaving until he had at least five reasons, one of them being said with words, as to why it was alright to let go of him.

It was then that he realized that the woman was locked loosely to his left arm. What bothered him even more was that he wasn't pushing her away. Even worse, he found himself leaning into her for some reason. His body was craving the warmth she was giving off.

Being away from her for such a long period of time had changed him, and he admitted it openly to himself. He found himself less harsh towards the human race for some reason. He was onto the idea that he appreciated them more.

His bright colored eyes watched Rin with intensity. No matter if she was sitting right next to him, he knew that he would always worry for her. Without her soothing he was nothing more than a wreak, and he would be a fool to say he liked feeling like that.

"_It's alright," she whispered as she ran a hand slowly through his bangs; he wasn't alone. "I'm right here…"_

He wasn't… _alone_.

That word.

His heart skipped a beat as realization dawned over him. For about a week and a half… he had been _alone_. Without Rin. Without Jaken and Ah-Un. Was being alone what caused him to become… softer? He knew this himself, and he knew he would admit it someday, but he was tied around Rin's finger.

He shook his head as he felt Rin clutch his arm tighter to her, bringing her body closer as well, and he stared down at her. He wasn't sure why, but watching her emotionless sleeping face brought all the memories back to life of when she was just a girl that went up to his knees, a teenager that never left him alone, and a woman that spent most nights crying her eyes out and thinking he didn't notice.

Now here he was, staring down at the top of a stronger woman's head. Stronger. That word seemed to fit Rin just right in his book, and when Rin made an incoherent noise in her sleep, the corners of his lips slightly lifted. He was… glad to see her.

"Uncle Sessy?"

Taking his eyes from Rin, he peered down at his niece that still smiled and stared at him like he was her everything. That had to be true somewhere along those lines, and his eyes slowly closed. "Yes?"

Her flick on the forehead gave him the biggest migraine, yet he said nothing. Instead he felt his head tip to the left, his cheek resting atop of Rin's head that was leaning on his shoulder; he didn't bother moving because she was still sleeping.

"Good morning, Uncle Sessy!"

"Good_night_, Kagome."

Kagome placed herself in her uncle's lap and slouched, crossing her hands over her chest. A puff of air left her pouted lips before a long yawn left her. She curled her toes before snuggling deep into Sesshomaru.

'My love…'

&

Rin's eyes slowly opened to something pushing her to the side. It hurt a great deal, and by the time she had opened her eyes, Kagome was just placing herself in her uncle's lap while facing the opposite direction. The woman had been scooted two feet away from her lord.

Rin admired the girl's determination to win her uncle over, and she took her arms off of him. They felt like they each weighed a ton, and they fell on Sesshomaru's left claw that was facing up on the ground. It was huge compared to her own, and gigantic compared to Kagome's.

Her eyes began to sting when she saw that his fingertips were blue; he was frostbitten. She looked at her own hands; hers were just as bad.

She had the need to… touch him.

Without control, she shakily outstretched her right hand. It was hard, but getting both back to their natural softness was out of the question. She was tired of always being by herself. She had him, and she wanted him to be around; always.

She found that she couldn't lift his claw with only one of her own in her condition, so she used both, and lifted it, dropping it once, into her lap. She watched as his pinky curled inwards before relaxing again. He was truly always alert, but this time he was straining himself, and she held his claw softly with both of her hands. She would never let anything happen to him.

His long fingernails pricked the palms of her hands.

Constantly Rin kept watching Sesshomaru's face. She was waiting for him to open his eyes and have them full of shock. After their hug, she thought that it'd be alright to get closer to him, but he might think otherwise. He wasn't really a person to get too close to without him knowing it.

Confidence, something she hadn't experienced in awhile, was slowly coming back to her. She couldn't believe it herself, but she was somewhat scared of her lord. She always thought it was because he was so powerful, and he insisted on having, of all humans, a powerless one, following him.

She used the little confidence and released Sesshomaru's warm hand on her right thigh. She put her right hand atop of it, and locked their fingers together as tight as she could.

She leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep.

&

_··__ Rin wiped the corners of her eyes furiously. This did no help at all, for the tears kept replacing themselves over and over again. She couldn't take it. She wanted to rip her eyes out so she wouldn't have to replay the image into her mind any longer. It didn't make sense to her, but she couldn't help but say that._

"_He's such a…" she whispered with anger as a shadow covered her body. She knew who it was; she chose to ignore him. She stared down at the grass in the open valley before her. She knew better than to be out in the open, but she was an adult now, and he wasn't able to control her like he always did._

_A gush of wind blew her hair to the side, hiding half her teary face, and making the locks stick to her face from the moisture. She still said nothing at this, and didn't bother moving it away from her face. It tickled, and she seemed unfazed._

_She gasped when a hand set down on her shoulder and harshly turned her around, crashing her body into Sesshomaru's hard one, her lips crashing against his._

_Her entire body was covered in his long white tresses, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down so he was atop of her. Her reason for being angry with him instantly left her mind. She was happy again. _

_His body pressed as close as possible against her own, his armor gone for he had bathed a few hours ago. His hands worked magic on her body; each time he touched her sent trickles of love through her entire body._

_The fact that she had just seen he and Kagura together didn't hurt her at all anymore. Watching Kagura try and shove herself on her lord broke her heart. Now, she was happy for it, because this wouldn't be happening. A loud moan left her when Sesshomaru's expert tongue dipped into her mouth, and she fought it with her own. She gasped when a hand slipped up her kimono._

"_Sess-" __··_

"Rin…" a female voice called out, and Rin's eyes tightened in their shut form. She leaned her head into the right and settled herself, hoping to return to her dream of her one true love.

"Rin…"

The pain returned to her body in the snap of a finger, and she groaned as she opened her eyes. She stared at the familiar hut ceiling as trickles of sweat fell down her face. 'W-where…' He wouldn't leave her. She knew that much. She had the common sense to see that she had forcefully been brought back here.

"You're awake," Kagome said with a smile as she placed a cloth dipped in water on Rin's forehead. "You're burning up; it's a good thing that Yaku found you."

Rin said nothing and let her eyes peek to the right. A teenage boy was sitting to the side of the square shaped hut with his arms folded across his chest; he was grinning, and she returned her eyes to staring at the ceiling. She had indeed been taken away from Sesshomaru.

Her heart raced quickly as she tried her best to remember her dream. She had seen Sesshomaru and Kagura in a forest, taken off, and he came to find her sometime later. She couldn't believe that she would dream something like that, but she was glad she did. She needed some excitement in her life. After all, she was older now.

Awhile later, Sango had joined the hut and Inuyaku had left, leaving only girls inside. Yuri had left also to go be with her resting father, and Kaede was treating a child that had fallen off a horse.

"Let's have some fun," Kagome said with a grin that matched her son's. She pulled out a magazine from behind her back and Sango rubbed her hands together.

Rin had no idea what was going on, but she didn't bother to protest. She was practically tied down to the futon with at least six layers holding her in place. She couldn't even get her arms out.

"Question one," Kagome said while wiggling an eyebrow at Sango. "When was the last time you were intimate with your chosen someone?" She had a pen in hand and waited for Sango's answer.

"Uh…"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "That means last night," she said as she wrote that down on the provided lines. "_Rin_?" she said while narrowing her eyes. "Something must have happened between you and _this person_," she said while eyeing Sango, "sometime soon. That counts, too."

Rin fought the right words to say. Was it alright to involve her personal life with two women that were far more experienced than her? She cleared her throat. "…This morning."

Sango's mouth hung open while Kagome jogged down notes.

"I see," the older woman calmly said. "The point of the game is to see who has the best match." She sighed. "Try as I might, I even submit a few lies, and Sango always does better than me." She blushed when Sango grinned.

Rin only nodded and answered the next question, as well as the next, and soon the final question came. She watched intensively as Kagome inhaled deeply before reading the question aloud. There were four possible answers to choose from. Rin braced herself. The final question, she thought, had to be something humiliating.

"Question twenty," Kagome said. "What is your love's best quality?" Right when Sango was about to interrupt, Kagome did first, "It can't be looks. Things like personality."

Sango crossed her arms. "Pass."

Kagome blushed lightly. "Me, too."

Rin couldn't believe this. There were so many qualities about her Sesshomaru that she couldn't pick just one. She spoke with confidence, even if the loudest she could speak was in a whisper. "He listens to me." A blush of her own came across her sweaty face as Sango took the cloth off and put a hand on her forehead.

"Kagome, I know she had a fever and all," Sango said with a raised eyebrow, "but I think she just said that Sesshomaru, a man, _listens_ to her!" She turned to Kagome who seemed to have dropped the magazine in disbelief and was flipping through it to find her page.

"I heard it clear," Kagome said while looking from the magazine and to Rin for a period of time. "Well, he is the quiet type, so something must be dysfunctional somewhere along those lines…" She smiled. "Sorry, Rin, but men don't work that way. Having them listen to us requires—"

"Many _things_," Sango said.

Rin didn't know what was so wrong. Sesshomaru always listened to her whenever she had the need to speak with him. She did all the talking, and he watched her and waited for her to be through talking. That was how their conversations went, with him mostly being mute; she liked that.

'I love him… with all my heart.' Giving her heart to him was the easiest thing she'd ever done in her entire life. She cared for him more than herself, and she inhaled deeply, though it didn't sound that way, causing Kagome to rush to get her water. She wanted to be with him and him only, but that would take awhile.

She missed being around him. His tall frame, his long white tresses, his amazing eyes, his manly edge, and of course, his need to listen to her. Nothing made her feel better than knowing that she always had someone to talk to when she was in doubt. Jaken was anything but that, and Ah-Un didn't communicate with words; neither did Sesshomaru, but she received more from him than the two headed demon.

Rin won.

&

**Brijustme:** It's amazing what three cups of coffee and two of tea can do the mind! It really gets the juices flowing and makes you write in a steady pace. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think; the last chapter went really well with wandering questions. I guess I just wanted to say that I don't really have a dirty mind…

I also have a question. I've written the first chapter to my first original story, and I was wondering if I should have the names being traditional Japanese (Hikaru, Mori, etc…), or normal-normal that most people are used to (Bob, Mary, etc…). I like to keep a part of Japan in all my stories, and I was just wondering what you thought! SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

**Much Love**


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